


When You Go Down All Your Darkest Roads, I'll Follow All the Way to the Graveyard

by Breakingthetide



Series: Our Love Would Be Tragic [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Grant Ward Redemption, One True Pairing, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:48:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 201,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21567784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breakingthetide/pseuds/Breakingthetide
Summary: “I was made and meant to look for you and wait for you and become yours forever.”-Robert Browning-In the eighth installment of the Avengers AU, it’s been a year since the Avengers defeated Thanos, but at the cost of losing two of their own, the team will never be the same. Skye is the Director of Shield and new enemies come out of the woods every day in the hopes to see her fail. With Grant Ward, the Inhumans and Shield at her side there's nothing she can't face.But when Alison Price threatens to undo everything Skye and Ward have built over the last ten years, will they be able to prevail? Or sometimes is love just not enough?
Relationships: Kebo/Grant Ward, Natasha Romanov/Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Avengers Team, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward
Series: Our Love Would Be Tragic [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/502141
Comments: 182
Kudos: 70





	1. It's You & Me, That's My Whole World

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading & commenting! Enjoy Skyeward being back to the power couple they always have been.

Sunlight reflecting off gleaming glass, cool winter air gliding through dying grass of a small meadow. Water from a brilliantly blue creek flowing without pause, a few birds take flight across the cloudless sky. It’s quiet here, the kind of peaceful one can appreciate when they couldn’t before, now that the darkness inside their heart is gone, the world a little clearer than it was before. Skye is huddled in a leather jacket staring at the house Tony Stark bought for her a little over a year ago.

The mansion entirely too big for one person with numerous empty rooms she never used, the three car garage that only housed her SUV, the kitchen built with a family in mind and she’s the only one who ever sat in it. This house was the embodiment of how lonely she was once, after she lost her son and left Ward, these walls became a living breathing testament to her pain. Skye spent many nights pacing empty hallways, the floor cold against her bare feet, mourning the loss, letting guilt eat her alive.

It’s a wound she can hardly feel these days. While she’ll never get over the death of her son, it’s not something that shreds her to pieces every single day. Skye isn’t healed by any means, there will always be a piece of her that died in that road with her child, but the grief no longer keeps her in bed all day. She’s found other outlets the cope as well, Grant found a grief group in New York for mothers that lost their children, she goes twice a week and it’s helped so much.

Having Grant Ward back in her life has been like finding home again, they’ve been back together for a year now and it’s helped heal them both. Shortly after Thanos was defeated and Tony and Pepper got married, Ward surprised her with a much needed vacation. She met him at Stark’s private jet where he handed her their travel itinerary and tucked their luggage into compartments. It took a second to realize why he picked those certain destinations, and why he chose then to go out of the country.

Not only was it something she needed after the death of Clint Barton, Steve Rogers going back to his own time, and Jackson’s death, the trip was to celebrate their ten year anniversary. A decade of loving and supporting each other, going through some of the worst times and coming out on the other side, Skye would have never imagined at eighteen that she would ever love someone the way she loves Grant. He’s her best friend, her other half, the only one she wants to fall asleep beside.

For the last three months they’ve lived out of hotels in different cities every other week, Ward chose specific places to visit for a specific reason, and she melted in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris whenever she figured it out. In his younger years at Shield Ward was sent all over the world on missions, he stayed where they told him to, went out when they told him to, killed who they ordered, and went back to the U.S. without question.

He never stopped to take in the sights of wherever he visited, never walked into museums or took a late night stroll to see a city’s lights. For him it was lonely hotel rooms, take out his target and go back home, he never strayed from whatever orders were given. For Skye it was something similar as well, she didn’t travel until after Hydra locked her in a lab, and Natasha Romanoff didn’t let her out of sight until she had a fairly tight hold on her powers.

While Skye didn’t go on kill missions that often, whenever she did leave the United States it was nothing but staying out until five a.m. at bars or clubs, bringing a guy to her room to shut off her brain for a while. So she and Ward never experienced the luxury of going out of town just to enjoy themselves, it was never a luxurious thing. They never sat on the floor of a bookstore and lost themselves in fictional worlds, never walked the Wall of China or stood at the top of Mount Fuji for fun, but they have now.

Grant decided to go to the places they’d visited before years ago and replace empty memories with good ones, together. So instead of riding the train in Scotland alone, they sat side by side in a compartment and watched the sun set over green rolling hills, they listened to the sounds of the ocean in Ireland, visited China and walked the Great Wall, traveled to Costa Rica, Thailand, Africa, Hawaii, Amsterdam, their final stop was the island they went to on their honeymoon.

The camera roll on her phone is now filled with photos from their adventures, a lot of images of her and Ward that will soon rest in frames on their mantel at home. They kept the house in Montana as their permanent residence and Skye had the new Playground built closer that the old one was. In the months she was gone Coulson took over, But in the weeks since they’ve been back, her transition back into power has been smooth, something Nick Fury surprisingly had no issue with.

Quake though that he’d want to take over with Hill at his side like it once was, but apparently Nick is content living on his own and doing whatever the hell he wants, Maria is now working with James Barnes and Sam Wilson on keeping the world safe from harm. Soon after Thanos was killed and the trillions of people he murdered were brought back, Skye demanded if Fury wanted to become Director of Shield once again.

He just laughed and shook his head, told her, _‘’you know Quake you’ve done a hell of a job as Director, made a name for Inhumans, led Shield in a direction that Coulson, Hill nor I could have. Never thought I’d be proud of you for anything, but here we are’’._ Shield has been working closely with the President and Everett Ross to keep the planet safe from any and every threat, especially after the drama with the ATCU last year. When it’s Director turned out to be a psychopath that succeeded in killing Skye.

If not for Ward she wouldn’t be here, something he still has nightmares about, and because the President was responsible for that organization he feels guilty and defends Skye at every turn, even if he doesn’t believe it’s the right move, which it usually is. So now instead of the world looking to the Avengers to protect them they rely on Shield and it’s team of Inhumans, Quake as their leader, they’re a force no one tries to come up against. 

The pressure of that on Skye’s shoulders is something the remaining Avengers worry about, though they’re broken and too fractured now to ever be a team again, they all still come together for holidays and emergencies, though there hasn’t been much of the latter these days. Some days Skye longs for the simplicity of waking up in Stark Tower surrounded by her family, waiting to train or to go off somewhere with Barton or Thor, but those days are long gone, just a well stored memory. 

Thor hasn’t been seen since Tony’s wedding, Barton’s family still lives in the house Clint had built for them. Natasha and Bucky are currently living together, Pepper and Tony are retired now and living out their lives in a gorgeous cabin close to Skye’s house. Wanda Maximoff is in London with Sam last Skye heard, Peter Parker is finishing school in Queens, Carol Danvers and Valkyrie finally got together and skip in between visiting Earth and travelling the cosmos.

The rest of the heroes Dr. Strange recruited from all over to help defeat Thanos are spread out across the globe, but they all are required to check in with Skye and Natasha once a month. The steps the Avengers took in order to get the Infinity Stones and kill Thanos, still weigh heavy. Traveling back in time, the battle that took place is something no one ever wants to repeat. They would if they had to of course, but Skye is hoping something like that never happens again.

In the year since Thanos was killed Stark has retreated into the safety of his perfect life with Pepper since he could have lost it all. Pepper still runs Stark Industries but she’s home more often than not, while Tony spends his days in his garage lab thinking of ways to make the world a better place.

Heading back to New York Skye shoots a message to Ward knowing he won’t answer but missing him all the same, asks if he can get his job done early and come home. In the months since they came home from traveling Ward found work as a mercenary, basically rich powerful assholes pay him to kill evil assholes for a shit ton of money, which he does flawlessly of course.

Not that they need extra cash, they both have enough in savings to last five lifetimes, but Grant wanted a job where he could apply his perfect super spy skills, and since he’ll never work for Shield again, mercenary was the best fit. He’s his own boss, isn’t out of town long and is paid handsomely for it. Skye can’t say she loves when he travels but otherwise it works, their jobs don’t interfere with one another and usually they are always home to have dinner together unless something comes up.

He’s in Mexico at the moment and is supposed to return tomorrow but Skye would not complain if he sped things up a bit. Back in New York a couple hours later she parks in front of a building she both loathes and loves, feels heavy as she closes the car door and heads inside, wishing Grant was here with her.

‘’Sometimes I wake in up in the mornings and think she’s going to be in her room waiting for me to wake her up. I think about what to make us for breakfast and if there’s going to be traffic on the ride to school, I wonder what she’s going to learn that day and if she’ll make any new friends. It always takes a few minutes to remember, and when I do I want to bury myself under the covers and never leave the bed, it’s been five years and I still wake up in the middle of the night like I’m going to check on her.

It’s not the grief I’m struggling so much with anymore, it’s the life my daughter never got to live, the life of the mother that I’ll never be. The guilt eases most days but sometimes I’m in the shower and it pops back up, eats me alive, the agony of burying my daughter flares up and I can’t stop it. My ex-husband says it’ll probably always be this way, a piece of us died with her. Part of me wants this sadness to stop, but that feels like I’m dishonoring her memory or something’’.

Skye listens to the story while drinking shitty coffee and trying not to cry, which is pretty difficult in a grief group full of mothers who lost their children. She’s been coming here for a month now at the recommendation of her therapist Paul, and Ward who found this group. While it’s been nearly two years since Skye lost her son, the grief never ends. Moving on and continuing to live took some getting used to, and she hardly wakes up these days sobbing anymore or feeling like nothing matters at all.

The air conditioning kicks on, the noise putting a pause on this moment so everyone can catch their breath in this small circle. The group is filled with ten women, most of them in their thirties like Skye, but two can’t be younger than nineteen, which makes their situation all the more tragic. Too young to be going through a loss like this, too childlike themselves to carry the grief of losing a baby, they both sit across from Skye every week and pretend not to be afraid of her.

Besides the two teenagers, everyone else for the most part treats Skye like a normal human being who couldn’t carry the burden of the death of their child alone. Which is what she was afraid of, Skye didn’t want to come into this thing making anyone uncomfortable, or having her popularity outweigh her feelings. Natasha, Paul and Ward all assured her it wouldn’t be an issue and so far it hasn’t, not one person here has looked at her like she’s dangerous or that she doesn’t belong.

Linda, the woman who was just talking about her daughter takes a shuddering breath and continues. Skye tries to tune in but her brain isn’t here this morning, instead it’s back at the beach, waves lapping at her feet and spending mornings in a bed with soft sheets and Ward’s skin.Draining the coffee Skye shakes her leg, wanting to get more, which brings attention to her. Maria, the leader of this group who lost all three of her kids in a house fire ten years ago, turns her green eyes on Quake.

‘’Skye would you like to add anything? It’s been a while since you shared’’.

She hasn’t told them the entire story because it’s still too painful, but they all know her son died as a result of a car accident.

Setting down the empty paper cup Skye knows exactly what she wants to talk about this morning, the words flow out easily.

‘’Last week I thought I was pregnant, my period was late and I’d felt off for a couple days. I made a friend buy me a pregnancy test because I was too scared to’’.

She woke Kebo up at the crack of dawn and made him run to the store for her, it wasn’t the first time he’d done so.

‘’Why were you scared?’’

‘’Because I don’t want to have children, made up my mind about that two years ago, I don’t want to risk being pregnant and something happen, I can’t go through that again’’.

The women nod in understanding and she continues.

‘’The test was negative obviously but I laid on my bathroom floor and thought about adoption or abortion over and over again. Thought about having another miscarriage, about everything that could go wrong’’.

Kebo sat on the floor and held her hand as they waited to see the results, she called Ward right after the test read negative.

‘’That was me six months ago’’.

Taylor comments and gives her an understanding smile, ‘’I’m assuming your husband respected your feelings, unlike mine’’.

Skye nods, ‘’yeah he did, he always has though. What did your husband say to you?’’

Taylor brushes it off like it’s no big deal but Skye can see the hurt in her eyes, ‘’that I needed to get over losing our daughter because if I was pregnant, it wouldn’t be that baby’s fault and I shouldn’t be sad about it’’.

‘’He sounds like a dick’’.

Maria shoots her a warning glance but Taylor laughs, ‘’he hasn’t been the same since Lucy died, it made him meaner, harder. I can’t really judge him though everyone grieves in their own ways’’.

‘’Grief isn’t an excuse to act like an asshole, especially if he’s hurting you’’.

Taylor lets the comment roll off her shoulders, ‘’can I ask you something?’’

‘’Sure’’.

‘’Were you happy at all when you thought you were pregnant last week? Did any good thoughts run through your brain?’’

Skye puts a hand to her knee to stop her leg shaking, ‘’nope. Guess I’m just not in that place yet, if I ever will be’’.

The trauma of the car accident caused lingering anxieties she’s still dealing with. 

‘’There’s nothing wrong with how you feel, you can be sad or angry, you can want to have six more kids or none at all, you’re not doing anything wrong Skye’’.

Maria tells her and Skye feels tears spring into her eyes, ‘’yeah I know’’.

Cristina, who’s sitting next to her, pats Skye’s hand in understanding and sympathy.

‘’Sometimes I think my husband will end up hating me for not wanting kids’’.

No matter how many times Ward promises her that will never be the case, the thought still lingers.

Cristina comments, ‘’you make your husband sound like he’s Superman most of the time’’.

Skye smiles fondly, ‘’he is, he saves my life every single day’’.

‘’Well it sounds like you have your answer then’’.

The next hour passes without Skye saying anything more.

Skye pulls into the driveway of her house in Montana hours later and parks the car, answers a few emails from May before getting out. Even though it’s early November her home has been decorated like Christmas is next week, lights on every corner, a few blown up characters in the front lawn. Smiling fondly at the memory of Ward coming home a couple weeks ago to Tony Stark and Bruce Banner stringing up lights, he took one look at the sleigh on the roof and tried to take it down.

He and Stark fought about it for half an hour before Tony yelled, _‘’it’s a big reindeer relax about it!’’_ Then got Skye to break the argument, she vetoed the sleigh and giant Santa Claus but kept the lights and the Charlie Brown figurine by the mailbox. It starts snowing when she unlocks the front door, the living room is dark, no one has obviously been home since Skye this morning. Kebo tends to go with Ward out of town so her home has been lifeless for days now.

Shrugging off her jacket Skye plugs in the lights outside, turns on the kitchen light and opens up the freezer for one of the meals Ward prepared before he left. Apparently Grant thinks she’s going to starve to death when he’s gone so he makes lasagna and casseroles for her to reheat in the microwave. After popping a slice of vegetarian lasagna in to heat up Skye sits on the counter and calls Nat. They talk about the grief group and Bucky, who has made Romanoff the happiest Skye has ever seen.

Downing a glass of wine and checking to see if everything is alright at the Playground, Skye ends the call and goes to take a shower. Brushes her teeth and walks into their bedroom, the cold mattress and empty sheets look unappealing and sad. Setting her phone down on the nightstand she repeats a process she does every time Ward is gone and if she’s sleeping here instead of the Playground. Gathers every pillow in the house and shoves them into a Ward size lump.

She’ll put them back when she wakes up just in case Ward comes home, she never wants him to see this. Sleeping alone is something she struggled with when they separated nearly two years ago, after sharing a bed with him for eight years every night was a nightmare. Putting her phone on loud just in case she curls up under the comforter, happy she gets it all to herself since Grant is such a blanket hog, and falls asleep with an arm thrown around his side of the mattress.

There’s a steady beeping noise coming from somewhere before it’s shut off entirely, the sound of a belt buckle hitting the floor, then the sheets rustle and warmth envelopes her. Skye keeps her eyes shut, knows it’s Grant by the heartbeat in her palms, the scent of the soap he uses in the shower, his bare chest against her back as he pulls her into his arms. Skye is already drifting back to sleep as he kisses her forehead before burying his face in her neck.

The next time she wakes it’s from the chill in the room on her bare legs, cracking one eye open she sees the comforter bunched up in Ward’s hands, barely half of it covers her chest. This is the only thing she doesn’t miss when he’s away, before she can shove his shoulder to give it back he’s rolling over, those whiskey eyes meeting hers. Without a word he drapes the blanket over her body and pulls her close with an arm around her waist.

‘’Hi’’. 

She leans up to kiss his jaw, ‘’hi, you’re home early’’.

It takes a second to grasp his worried look, and then she sees the extra pillows stacked neatly against the wall.

She sighs knowing where this is headed, ‘’don’t start Grant’’.

‘’I told you I don’t have to go out of town if it bothers you’’.

‘’And I said it doesn’t’’.

‘’Really? Because the pillow fort on my side of the bed says otherwise’’.

‘’It’s not a big deal’’.

Grant runs his knuckles down her cheek, ‘’you hate sleeping alone and I’m forcing you do to it’’.

It’s not a surprise he’s found a way to blame himself for this, Skye holds onto his wrist her expression fading from annoyed to firm.

‘’You are not forcing me to do anything, I’m okay’’.

He searches her face for a moment before pulling her tighter against him.

‘’I’ll stop if you need me to’’.

‘’It’s fine Grant honestly’’.

He drops the subject after a few more minutes, seeing she’s alright before kissing her nose softly and saying, ‘’come here’’.

Twisting so they’re now facing one another Ward kisses her slowly, trails a path down her throat and takes off her shirt.

‘’Welcome home’’.

She breathes against his lips, nails scraping down his back as his teeth drift across her ribs.

‘’I love you’’.

He says against her skin, fingers warm on her thighs.

Wandering hands pause when she realizes he’s wearing sweats, ‘’take your pants off’’.

He obeys and then flips them over so she’s on top and he’s looking up at her in adoration.

Skye runs both hands up his face, his cheeks, traces one eyebrow, ‘’I’m happy you’re back’’.

She’s always happy when he returns, especially because it always lead to this, tangled up in their bed.

Grant pulls her down for a kiss, hand dipping into her shorts to take them off, ‘’me too’’.

They lose all sense of time, getting wrapped up in each other long after the sun sets.

‘’How was your trip?’’ Skye asks when they’re in the kitchen eating the spaghetti he made, the fire is roaring in the living room, snow is falling soundlessly outside, Kebo is asleep on the couch with a beer still clutched in hand. Grant is sitting at the island and Skye is cross legged on the counter by the fridge, he looks up at her and gives a small smile before diving into the boring story. The mission was easy, clean cut and simple, he got paid the second he boarded the plane.

Skye is on her second glass of wine sitting in Grant’s lap by the fire when he sighs and holds her closer.

‘’I need to talk to you about something’’.

‘’Was Tony mean to you again? You two really need to get over that’’.

‘’It’s not about Stark. You remember I’m still keeping tabs on Alison Price’’.

Skye makes a face, even though that woman was only a mark to Ward and she meant absolutely nothing, Quake still isn’t a fan of anyone putting their hands on him.

‘’Did you bring her up for a reason or was it just to put me in a mood?’’

‘’We may have a problem’’.

‘’Like she started a ‘I hate Quake’ blog on the internet kind of problem, or she wants to kill us problem?’’

‘’The second one’’.

‘’Great, why do you think that?’’

‘’She’s been mostly quiet up until a few weeks ago, my contact caught her reaching out to a few Hydra agents’’.

In the two years since Ward killed the last Director of Hydra Kimberly Santos, the organization has basically been non-existent without a leader.

‘’You think she’s trying to be the new head of Hydra?’’

‘’I don’t know yet, it’s either that or she’s looking for powerful people to keep close’’.

‘’You think she wants revenge’’.

Ward nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders, ‘’wouldn’t you?’’

‘’If someone killed my mother and the man I was dating turned out to be a married lying asshole? Yes’’.

He doesn’t have to explain himself but he does anyway, ‘’I did it to protect you’’.

‘’I know and I love you for it but that doesn’t mean Alison does. Besides it’s probably me she would want dead anyway, I was the one who shot her mom. All you did was pretend to be into her’’.

Ward is silent for too long Skye doesn’t like it, so she turns around to straddle him, winds her arms around his neck.

Takes one look at his face and sighs, ‘’stop with the brooding babe’’.

Grant snakes his arms around her back, ‘’I’d do all of it again if it meant you were safe’’.

‘’I know’’.

When it looks like he’s about to blame himself for all of it Skye puts a hand to his mouth, ‘’there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you. I’d kill to make it happen, I’d take on Thanos or whatever Mad Titan comes next on my own if it meant you could live. I know you’d do the same, that doesn’t make us bad people’’.

Beneath the flames Ward’s eyes are a lighter gold, they flare with emotion now as he slips a hand underneath her shirt.

‘’You did what you thought was right with Alison and the ATCU in order to keep your wife safe, and if Alison wants to lash out at you for that, she’ll have to go through me first’’.

Removing her hand she finds Ward smiling and looking so in love, so lost in her. 

‘’I love you’’.

She reminds him, ‘’and whatever happens we’ll face it together like we always do’’.

Skye cups his face, kisses him slowly the way he likes.

His index finger traces the eternity ring he gave her the day of Tony’s wedding, joins their hands and places them in his lap.

‘’There’s no one else I’d rather have spent the decade with than you’’.

He tells her when they come up for air.

‘’Ten years of seeing me naked, tired of it yet?’’

Grant laughs and kisses her nose, ‘’never’’.

Both hands on his shoulders she asks, ‘’any regrets?’’

Ward holds her face in between two warm palms and replies, ‘’not marrying you sooner’’.

She melts in his arms, kisses his cheek her lips lingering, ‘’you’d think after all this time I’d be immune to your cheesy lines’’.

‘’You love them’’.

‘’Always’’.

‘’Oh my god get a room’’.

The couple looks over to find Kebo awake and glaring at them, ‘’I know you two saw me sleeping here’’.

‘’Sleep in your own house’’.

‘’Don’t tell me what to do’’.

‘’Get out’’.

‘’Ward your wife is being rude to me’’.

‘’You started it’’.

Skye grabs the pillow beside Ward’s leg and chunks it at Kebo, who flails dramatically as it hits his arm.

They go back and forth for a while, Grant gets out of the line of fire but puts an end to the pillow fight when Kebo grabs a glass drink coaster.

Snatching his wrist Ward growls, ‘’drop it’’.

‘’Oh my god I am not a dog’’.

Skye sticks her tongue out at Kebo when he and Ward start arguing.

Later after Kebo has gone to his own home and Grant unplugs the lights from outside, Skye watches him move around the house as he makes sure all the doors and windows are locked. Crawls into bed and he joins shortly after, closing the bedroom door while taking off his shirt. Grant switches off the bedside light so the room is cloaked in darkness, he cuddles in beside her and Skye sprawls herself across his chest.

‘’If anyone is to blame for whatever Alison situation you think is going to happen, it would be me’’.

‘’Baby’’-

‘’You know I’m right, I didn’t have to shoot Rosalind but I did, she could have gone to prison and Alison would have been able to visit her. Now she’s dead and I’m responsible’’.

Grant kisses the top of her head and vows, ‘’I’m not going to let anyone hurt you’’.

‘’Can we worry about this if she actually becomes an issue? Right now you’re stressing out over a hunch, you don’t really know what she’s doing’’.

‘’I want to be prepared just in case’’.

Skye plants a kiss on his chest, ‘’I know’’.

He’s quiet for a moment and then changes the subject, ‘’how was packing up the house and your session today?’’

‘’The house was good, I’m glad to be closing that part of my life. The session was fine’’.

‘’Do you want to talk about it?’’

‘’Maybe in the morning, right now I’m just glad you’re home’’.

Grant starts running his fingers through her hair, ‘’I missed you’’.

‘’When do you have to leave again?’’

‘’A couple weeks, going to Peru’’.

‘’Gross’’.

‘’I’ll only be gone a few days’’.

‘’Make sure you stock up the freezer again, god knows I’d die if you didn’t cook for me’’.

He chuckles, ‘’I just want to make sure you’re taken care of’’.

‘’Babe you always take care of me’’.

‘’That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do’’.

She sits up, ‘’oh you are so getting laid again’’.

They don’t fall asleep until morning burns through the night sky.

*

Alison Price sits in a stark white lab in Japan, the desk a shiny chrome, the scientists that move around the room glance at her every once in a while, questions in their eyes. Why she’s doing this, what she’s hoping to achieve by destroying lives, what happened to turn her to such darkness. If they asked she’d tell them plain and simple, that the ache in her chest that throbs every single day fuels hatred, and the hatred has dire consequences that are rightfully deserved.

Rosalind, her mother, meant everything to Alison, she was her best friend, her idol, Ali wanted to be just like her when she grew up. But that was taken away from her by someone she used to admire, the only love Alison had ever experienced was also stripped away. Because of _her._ Quake, the Destroyer of Worlds not only murdered her mother in cold blood, but she was also responsible for Grant Ward coming into Alison’s life and turning it upside down.

Because of Grant Ward Price finally understood what it was like to love someone, she thought she’d found the person she was going to marry. Until that came crashing down, everything with Ward turned out to be a lie. Every touch, every kiss and laugh, everything he ever said to her was nothing but a lie. A plot, a ploy to protect his psychotic wife from death, but they don’t know the game has changed, that she’s not some helpless little girl in an interrogation room anymore.

In the nearly two years since Rosalind’s death Alison has only had one goal; destroy the monster who killed her mom. Ali kept her apartment in Washington but abandoned all the work she’d been doing before Rosalind was taken from her. Instead she began training with some of the best fighters in the city on how to protect herself from an enemy, how to kill someone with her bare hands if the situation called for it. 

When turning her body into a weapon wasn’t enough Ali turned to science, looking for any kind of punishment that would deem fit to take out on Quake. After months of research and searching she finally found what she was looking for; a man named Samuel Lee, who had been working on a top secret project for the last ten years, the only thing holding him back was he couldn’t find an investor, then Ali walked in. 

In the past year she’s poured millions of dollars into this project and soon it will pay off. She looks at the beautiful machine now and grins, a sick satisfaction passing through at how all of this is going to play out. That Quake will finally get what’s coming to her, that both she and Ward will finally understand what it’s like to lose the one you love most in the world. Lee sits beside her sipping a mug of fresh coffee, adjusts the black wire framed glasses on his aging face.

‘’There’s still time to change your mind Price, the machine won’t be ready for another couple of weeks’’.

‘’I’m not going to, this is what I want’’.

‘’How is Robin?’’

‘’Still resting, the last test wiped him out’’.

‘’And you’re positive he’s the one we need?’’

‘’He’s an Inhuman who can send anyone to an alternate dimension, of course he’s the one’’.

‘’But we’re talking about destroying an entire timeline, you need to be sure his powers and my machine are one hundred percent compatible, if he talks and this comes back on me’’-

‘’He won’t talk, he hates Quake just as much as I do’’.

Years ago at the hands of Hydra, Robin sent Skye to a parallel universe to which she was never expected to return from. But Grant Ward and all the love he had for his wife convinced him to send her back to this earth, something he’s apparently regretted ever since. Robin has been hiding in the past since, knows the Avengers will come looking for him if he pops up on their radar. Something happened weeks ago and Robin returned to their time accidently, Price snatched him up before he could return.

Offered him money and a chance to take out Quake for good, he agreed and is now working with Lee and his machine to get the revenge Alison so desperately wants. The machine was built to discover parallel universes but now thanks to Price it has a far more sinister purpose, it can destroy someone’s entire timeline with the help of Robin’s powers. They’ve been running tests for days and are getting closer, Alison would do anything to make this happen.

Quake not only needs to pay for the death of Rosalind, but also for the other innocent lives she’s taken. Including Ward in this plan is just a bonus, hurting him the same way he hurt her. The only thing is it can’t backfire because if it does, they’re all dead. The Avengers wouldn’t take too kindly to someone trying to murder members of their family, and if Quake finds out what Price is doing before their plan comes into play, she’ll kill everyone in this room.

‘’How long until it’s ready?’’

‘’One month tops’’.

‘’Anything I can do to speed things along?’’

Lee chuckles, ‘’a few more Inhumans on our side would help’’.

‘’They won’t go for it, they all love Skye’’.

‘’Do they? Every single Inhuman on this planet adores her? I find that unlikely’’.

Ali grabs a tube of lipstick from her purse and applies it, ‘’I’ll see what I can do’’.

‘’Perfect’’.

She clinks the lipstick with his mug, ‘’we’re going to erase a decade of two people’s lives’’.

Lee copies her grin, ‘’here’s to breaking true love’’.

It’s exactly what Skye and Ward deserve, and no one is going to stop her from accomplishing it.


	2. I've Been the Archer I've Been the Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Ward's jobs ends in disaster, and he and the Avengers find more about what Alison Price is planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't be posting again until after Christmas is over, so happy holidays to everyone!
> 
> Thank you for reading and always feel free to leave a comment.

A football game is playing on a small TV, the sound of cheering fans can almost be heard over the blaring Christmas music coming from speakers by the front door. Even though the holiday is weeks away this Police Department apparently doesn’t care, because Andy Williams has been singing about how wonderful this time of year is for the past two hours. Grant Ward sits in a holding cell in a small town in Pennsylvania, the heat isn’t on and not even his fluffy winter coat keeps him warm enough.

He doesn’t pace back and forth or demand a lawyer, scream or yell about how unfair this all is like most people would. Even though he hasn’t been in a cell since Phil Coulson locked him up in Vault D years ago and it makes him antsy, outwardly he appears calm and cool, not at all distressed about his current situation. It’s thanks to years of training and the knowledge that he can get out of here by himself, he’s just waiting for the opportune moment.

The plan is to grab the officer who has the keys the next time he comes around and take them, unlock the cell, get back to his SUV and catch the next flight home. There are only five cops here in the small station which means the odds are ridiculously in Ward’s favor, he’s been fighting his entire life, they have no idea just who they have in custody. This is not how the morning or this job was supposed to go, his client had an easy mark and the money was good, this was supposed to be simple.

Ward’s job was to track down the target and eliminate him, something he’s done way more than he should have, he could do it in his sleep. However when Grant arrived at the home of the mark three officers were waiting with Tasers and dogs. He could have escaped but the roads were blocked and the snow was too thick to make a run for it, and since Ward wouldn’t turn himself in and the client is the only one who knew he’d be there, it’s obvious what happened.

He was turned in, the only question is why. The fake I.D. in his wallet that the cops have already run through their system belongs to an alias, Douglas Warren. Douglas works as an accountant at a law firm on the east coast that doesn’t technically exist, it’s a front for Shield and is used as a safe house, but no one here is going to know that. Douglas lives in a two bedroom apartment that is also is a safe house, so if anyone were to check any of this out it’d all look legit.

The station is like any other police station, smells like coffee and dirt, full of shady criminals and the sound of clattering keyboards. In the desk straight ahead the officer who arrested him is currently trying to get into Ward’s cell phone, which will be impossible. Not only is it password protected it also scans his face and retina, Skye designed the security herself so no one but her or Tony Stark would have any hope looking inside it.

His gun and knife is locked up in the back, not that he needs them, they didn’t find the small blade tucked in his mouth or the one up his sleeve. Ward watches the man tap the screen of his phone for a few more minutes before sighing and giving up, tossing it carelessly on the desk. Glad no one will be able to see his personal information or private photos, especially since every image on there involves Skye in some way.

They returned from vacation a few weeks ago and it was some of the best days of his life. When Grant used to think of the places he traveled for Shield he’d picture empty hotel rooms and dead bodies hitting the floor. Now he just sees his wife lying in a field of tulips blowing him a kiss, her face sun kissed beside an ocean, her smile on the hills of Ireland facing the roaring sea. A decade he’s known her and every day still feels like the first.

Ten years ago he walked into Stark Tower expecting to do a few jobs to clean the blood from his hands and then leave, instead he met the love of his life and gained a family. Healed from the scars he thought would plague him forever, the nightmares his family and John Garrett inflicted upon him became memories and nothing more. Grant no longer lets the ghosts of his past haunt him anymore, it was a long journey reaching this point but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

The deputy with the keys makes an appearance an hour later and Ward readies himself for action, stands casually like he’s stretching his muscles as the man walks over to another officer’s desk.

‘’Where’d you pick that one up?’’

The one with the keys shakes his head, ‘’ over on Park Street trying to break into Mr. Peterson’s house we think’’.

‘’You think?’’

‘’He won’t talk’’.

It’s true, Grant hasn’t said a word since they grabbed him.

‘’Not even to defend himself?’’

‘’Nope. Wouldn’t even tell us his damn name’’.

‘’That means he’s got something to hide’’.

‘’He’s an accountant, wonder what the hell he wants with Peterson’’.

‘’Drugs?’’

‘’Maybe’’.

Both officers look over at him, ‘’what are you doing all the way out here son?’’

Grant meets their eyes but doesn’t respond, just walks the length of the cell back and forth.

No one has called him ‘’son’’ in years, it makes him uncomfortable, especially since both he and the officers look about the same age.

‘’Have you called Peterson yet?’’

‘’Yeah he’s supposed to be down here soon, see if he knows why someone would want to break into his house’’.

Grant is going to be long gone before that happens, since it looks like the guy with the keys isn’t coming over any time soon, Ward looks for an opportunity to antagonize him.

It comes a moment later.

‘’Say doesn’t Mark Peterson have that gun collection in his basement? Is that what you were after son?’’

Ward snorts but doesn’t comment further, it captures their attention just like it was supposed to.

‘’You too good for guns or something?’’

‘’We found one on him and a knife’’.

They both stand up, ‘’oh so you’re a tough guy huh? Big strong man who breaks into houses at four in the morning’’.

Grant approaches the bars and gives them a cocky smirk, ‘’stronger than the two of you’’.

At that they head over to his cell, exactly what he wanted.

Before anyone can say anything the Captain comes out of his office and sighs, ‘’we’re releasing you’’.

The two officers gape in outrage, ‘’what?’’

Captain Miller unlocks the cell and shrugs, ‘’I received orders from higher up to let him go, it’s out of my hands, you’re not getting your gun or knife back though’’.

Ward nods and smirks at the other cops before grabbing his phone and walking out, having a pretty good idea of who sprung him from jail.

There’s an unmarked black SUV idling at the curb, Ward tucks his jacket closer as the wind howls and the driver’s door opens. Knowing it’s Skye both love and joy fills him, he hasn’t seen her since yesterday morning, she kissed him goodbye on her way to work as he was packing his bag. He’s already forming a plan on getting out of here and finding the nearest hotel, his body relaxed, when she steps into view. You can imagine his surprise when it’s not his wife glaring at him, but Alison Price.

Grant immediately sweeps the area for reinforcements and weapons, when it looks like Ali isn’t carrying a gun he takes a step to her, uncertain. This has never happened before, Grant has never faced one of his targets after he’s bested them because they’re either dead, or he simply disappeared and is nothing more than a ghost to them forever. This is uncharted territory, he’s caught off guard and weary, she could possibly be here to kill him, not that she’d succeed but still.

Ali looks different than the last time he saw her, that light he witnessed when they first met is gone from her eyes, her shoulders appear heavier, more lines in her face. Grant is all too familiar with grief turning you into someone else, how consuming it can be. He understands what it’s like to lose someone you love, a parental figure you would have done anything for, not for the first time he feels sympathy for Alison. Her mother’s death couldn’t have been easy to cope with, that kind of loss stays with you.

For half a second he wonders if she succumbed to the same hopelessness he did once upon a time, if she weighed her life in her hands and thought it wasn’t worth it without the one person she loved most, and decided to end it. Even if she becomes an enemy or is here to hurt him, Ward hopes she didn’t go through that, he’d never wish that dark abyss of emptiness on anyone. Price wears the death of her mother all over her body, like she’s constantly coated in it without pause.

Her hair is shorter but the same honey brown tone, she has newly toned muscles that weren’t there before, and the way she carries herself in a new found confidence she didn’t have when he knew her. Here is a woman who had a normal life two years ago, used her power and platform to help underprivileged people and built orphanages in third world countries. Now look at her, consumed by sorrow and more than likely hate, if she’s here for revenge Grant can’t say he’d blame her.

He and Skye ruined her, destroyed the organization she worked for and murdered her mother in cold blood. If Ward were in her shoes he’d probably want to burn everything down, grief like that can break a person. Alison shuffles her boots against the snow and finally says, ‘’you look good’’. Grant doesn’t respond, for once has shocked him.

She opens the passenger door, ‘’I just want to talk’’.

He states the obvious after a moment, ‘’you turned me in’’.

Shrugging, her hand tightens on the door handle, ‘’and bailed you out, it was the only way to get you alone without your psychotic wife’’.

She can’t tell his shoulders tense, ‘’what do you want?’’

‘’It’s freezing out here, can I buy you breakfast and we can just talk?’’

‘’No’’.

She purses her lips, ‘’don’t you think you owe me? I mean you did lie to me the entire time we knew each other’’.

She has a point and while he may feel a little guilty about it still, he’s not going to be manipulated into anything, not by her, not by anyone ever again.

‘’I don’t owe you anything Alison, I did what I did to protect’’-

‘’Your wife, yes I’m fully aware that the only reason you pretended to love me was to get into my mother’s good graces’’.

Correcting her on saying he never told her he loved her may add gasoline to the fire, and that’s the last thing he wants to do.

All he wants is to get out of here and go home, hold Skye close as they fall asleep.

‘’So we have nothing more to say to each other’’.

He takes one step away as she says, ‘’did Skye tell you I tracked down one of her Inhumans?’’

At this he pauses because no Skye didn’t share that either because she hasn’t had time, or it happened so recently she hasn’t had the chance, not because they keep secrets but Ali doesn’t know that.

Price grins in triumph when she realizes she’s captured his attention, ‘’feel like breakfast now?’’

He agrees for two reasons; one because he’s betting he can get her talk better than anyone, and two if she’s after Skye, he can eliminate this threat before it ever has the chance to begin. He unfortunately has no choice but to get into her SUV, only he drives after checking the inside for any kind of weapons, and chooses a diner right off the highway to eat. Ward notices one security camera in the corner of the wall as they walk in, the small restaurant is nearly empty, only six other patrons are here.

Choosing a booth by a window so his back is protected, he can see if Price called in anyone else and has a clear view of the front and side door, they take a seat and order coffee. 

‘’What do you want Alison?’’

Her gaze lingers on his cheekbones for a moment and then she replies, ‘’to see you, make sure you were okay, not that you extended the same courtesy to me’’.

Beneath the anger it’s easy to see she’s still in love with him, even though it’s his fault, it still makes him uncomfortable.

‘’What happened between us’’-

‘’Wasn’t real I know, you just used me to get what you want’’.

If Grant had to summarize who he is as a person, he’d use that sentence.

‘’That doesn’t mean it wasn’t real for me, that my pain over what you did doesn’t matter’’.

‘’You’re right’’.

She cocks her head to the side, ‘’are you going to apologize?’’

The waitress comes to take their order, Ward sticks with coffee while Ali picks pancakes.

Grant isn’t sorry, he’d do it again in the name of keeping Skye safe, however he understands how his actions affected her.

‘’It’s the least you could do right?’’

Flicking his gaze out into the parking lot and back to her face, he says, ‘’I’m sorry you were hurt’’.

He puts the perfect amount of sincerity into it, arranges his face to look genuine.

‘’Are you?’’

‘’Yes’’.

Ward has been deceiving people since he was a child, it’s easier than breathing at this point, it’s something he’ll probably never be able to turn off.

‘’How do I know you’re telling the truth?’’

‘’I guess you’ll just have to trust me’’.

She laughs, ‘’like my mother did? Like I did every time you kissed me? Do you honestly think I’m that stupid?’’

If Skye were here she’d say yes and threaten Ali until she was too afraid to speak, but Ward tries a different tactic.

‘’Look what I did to you was wrong, I know that. You were an innocent by-standard in a war that’s been going on for years’’-

‘’I don’t want to listen to you justify your reasons for breaking my heart and your wife killing my mom. I think I’m entitled to some form of revenge don’t you?’’

Is that why she went after one of Skye’s Inhumans?

Alison takes a sip of coffee, ‘’speaking of, you know the Inhumans are protective of your wife, you have no idea how hard it was to find one that isn’t’’.

Grant stirs his coffee and waits, this seems like it’s going to be a long monologue.

‘’Do you remember James? Codename Hellfire, he doesn’t like Skye very much’’.

James is an Inhuman Quake found years ago with the power of fire who wanted nothing to do with Skye’s team, he’s still required to check in every once and awhile just like every other Inhuman who chose a normal life.

‘’He told me I’d be an idiot to go up against your wife’’.

‘’He’s right’’.

Price smirks, ‘’James said I should be terrified’’.

‘’Aren’t you?’’

It’s rare to find someone who isn’t afraid of Quake unless they know her personally.

‘’Of course I am, but I want someone to pay for what you two did to me’’.

Ward lets the mask fall from his cheekbones, anger replacing it.

‘’I would be very careful if I were you’’.

Her eyes widen, only used to seeing the non-threatening version of him.

‘’I deserve some kind of’’-

‘’If you’re planning a move against Skye I’d advise against it, not only would you have to go through me first to do it, you would have both the Avengers and Shield in front of her as well. Ask me how that would turn out for you’’.

Ward has lost Skye too many times to count, and he’s never going to let it happen again.

Alison shivers and attempts to regain her composure, ‘’god how could I have been so blind? You’re like a complete one-eighty from the man I thought you were’’.

That was the point, Ward needs no reminders at how flawless his cover at the ATCU was.

The tough act falls away suddenly and he’s left with the Alison who lost so much, ‘’when I met you I thought I’d found the person I was going to marry, did you know that? I used to think about honeymoons and the dress I’d wear’’.

Grant’s stomach rolls, not from guilt but shock, he never led her to believe marriage was on the table, never acted as if he was head over heels in love with her.

Not letting the inner turmoil show he replies, ‘’that wasn’t the real me, you were with nothing more than a cover’’.

‘’How did you do it? How do you pretend to be a different person for months without fail?’’

‘’It’s how I was trained’’.

Price shakes her head in disgust, ‘’I don’t think I like the real you’’.

‘’Most people don’t’’.

The waitress sets down Ali’s breakfast but she doesn’t touch it, ‘’you are a terrible person’’.

‘’You don’t know the half of it’’.

‘’Are you proud of yourself? You used me, how many other lives have you ruined? How many other women sit by their windows and wonder what they did wrong?’’

She thinks she’s hit a nerve but has no idea Ward’s previous targets are nothing more than a blur.

That they never meant anything at all.

Since all politeness went out the door when she basically threatened Skye, Ward responds, ‘’if you’re looking for me to cry and grovel at your feet for forgiveness it’s not going to happen. Go home Alison and move on with your life, don’t do something you can’t turn back from’’.

‘’Is that a threat? I mean would you really kill me?’’

He doesn’t hesitate, ‘’yes’’.

In a flurry of movement she’s leaving the booth, ‘’I hoped we could come to some sort of agreement’’.

‘’Like me leaving my wife for you, or stepping aside so you can try to kill her? Both options are unlikely’’.

She winces and he watches as the small glimmer of hope in her eyes dies, his comment the truth, ‘’you’re going to regret this’’.

‘’If you touch Skye I promise that’s something you’ll regret’’.

She storms out of the diner and he lets her go, not wanting to make a very public scene unlike Skye would have. He calls Skye to tell her what’s happened but she doesn’t answer, so he tries Nat who thankfully does and he wastes no time filling her in. An hour later he’s on his way home, Ward has never been more anxious to get back to Montana than he is right now, even though he’s aware Skye can defend herself, they’ve been threatened more than once and he just wants to make sure she’s alright.

It’s snowing when he finally walks through his front door, the warmth of these four walls very welcoming from the cold outside. Slipping off his coat and shoes he breathes a sigh of relief when he spots Skye sitting on the couch in front of the fire, wrapped up in a blanket. She looks up at his entrance and instead of matching his smile she throws a pillow at his head. ‘’Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were arrested? Why didn’t you call me from jail?’’

Instead of answering he rushes over, takes her face in his hands and kisses her deeply, assuring his heart and body that she’s safe, right here with him. He lost her last year and never wants to go through something like that again. Even though Alison could very well just be upset and the threat may turn out to be nothing, they can’t take it lightly. Wrapping both arms around her he lowers them to the couch so he’s on his back and she’s resting against him.

‘’If you think sex is going to get you off the hook you’re wrong’’. She mutters against his lips, breaking the kiss he looks at the woman he’s loved for a decade and his hands shake against her face, this is not the first time someone has wanted her dead but she stopped breathing in front of him last year and he’ll be damned if that ever happens again. Taking a steadying breath he tells her about Alison not caring that Nat already did, Skye wants to hear it from his perspective anyway.

When he’s done Skye sits up and taps her thigh, without a word he sprawls across the couch and puts his head in her lap, sometimes it still takes him by surprise how well she knows him. Grant closes his eyes as she runs her fingers through his hair, her touch soothing and comforting as it always has been. Ward wasn’t even aware he needed this connection until it was already happening, Skye kisses his forehead, her fingernails against his scalp.

‘’Again, I told you we should have killed her’’.

Ward places both hands on his stomach, ‘’at the time she wasn’t doing anything wrong’’.

‘’Well now that’s off the table, so she bailed you out of jail for what, to warn you she was after me?’’

‘’That and she wanted to see me again’’.

There’s not an ounce of cockiness in his tone, the statement is a simple fact.

‘’She’s still in love with you’’.

‘’It looks that way. She said she thought we would get married’’.

Skye’s hands pause their movement, ‘’what?’’

He replays her comment word for word and Skye says, ‘’gross, that’s not your fault that she misread things, maybe she said that to make you feel guilty’’.

‘’Maybe’’.

‘’Want me to kick her ass?’’

‘’You might end up having to’’.

‘’Yay’’. He doesn’t have to look at her to know she’s smiling.

There’s a moment of silence and then Skye says softly, ‘’you’re a good man Ward’’.

Ten years ago he didn’t believe her when she said it for the first time, now is a different story.

When he doesn’t tense with anxiety she continues, ‘’you played Alison in order to protect me, there’s nothing wrong with that’’.

‘’I know’’.

‘’If anyone should feel guilty it’s me, I can’t say I don’t deserve her hatred’’.

‘’You don’t deserve to die for it’’.

‘’Your girlfriend seems to think differently. I understand where she’s coming from, we did a shitty thing to her and now she wants justice’’.

Ward isn’t the only one who has changed since they met, a few years ago Skye would have never taken the blame for this.

‘’But she’s not going to get it’’.

Skye rubs a thumb between his eyebrows, ‘’perfect boyfriend material right there’’.

Opening his eyes to see her smiling down at him Ward replies, ‘’I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Alison wants my attention and she’s not going to get it. Today was about a power play, she’s showing me the hand she’s going to play and thinks she’ll come out on top’’.

‘’I’m meeting with James tomorrow, I may or may not kick his ass depending on what he told her. My guess is she’s trying to get the Inhumans because they’re powerful, she thinks they’ll turn on me’’.

‘’Are you confident they won’t?’’

‘’Yeah, even if they want nothing to do with my team I’m still their leader, they’ll fall in line like everyone else’’.

Ward sighs and closes his eyes again, tries to relax against her and the sound of the cackling fire.

Skye speaks up a minute later, ‘’I was thinking we could have Thanksgiving at home this year, we can make dinner in our underwear and kick everyone out early’’.

‘’When you say we’ll make dinner in our underwear you really mean me’’.

She chuckles, ‘’I’ll enjoy the view’’.

They used to go to Stark Tower every Thanksgiving and last year they went to Tony’s cabin, Ward is surprised Skye wants to host it this year since she’s never been big on cooking.

They’re quiet for a while enjoying each other’s company and the security that no matter what happens they’ll go through it together, when Skye says, ‘’if you want to have sex take a shower first’’.

When he laughs she flicks his forehead, ‘’I’m serious, jail does not agree with you’’.

‘’No it doesn’t’’.

Her fingers drift down to his wrists, stroking the self-inflicted scars, ‘’do you want to talk about it?’’

‘’I’m okay’’.

‘’If you need to I’m here’’.

He kisses the inside of her wrist, ‘’I know’’.

Later that night after a long conversation with Paul, Ward holds Skye who is fast asleep, not able to turn his brain off. Plus half of him is scared he’s going to have a nightmare about a cold dark cell, or John dying and not being able to save him. Eventually he falls asleep after Skye wakes and strokes his hair, lulling him into a dreamless state with her soft words and skin.

The following day instead of being at home he’s looking out the window of Tony Stark’s cabin, the morning is filled with blankets of snow on the ground, icicles hanging from branches, a cold so thick that when you breathe in it stings. It’s warm inside, smells like fresh coffee and apple cider, unfortunately it’s not the kind of cozy he prefers. He’d rather be curled up in bed with his wife chasing away the chill in the air with their body heat, drinking coffee on their porch cuddled up with blankets, Skye in his lap.

He’d literally rather be anywhere else other than here this early in the morning, the sun is just starting to rise. Ward looks out the window to see streaks of orange painting the untouched snow in soft hues, he’d snap a picture of it if Kebo wasn’t currently entertaining himself with his phone, playing some stupid game to try and beat Skye’s high score. Grant isn’t the only one at Stark’s wondering why they’re here so damn early, Nat, Sam, Wanda, Rhodey and Bruce are also present.

Stark is in the kitchen making a fresh pot of coffee while Pepper is chastising him every few moments for god knows what. It’s moments like these that the loss truly echoes and rears its head, Steve Rogers and Clint Barton should be here for something like this, Ward has a feeling it’s a meeting about Skye since she’s the only one not here, when she finds out about this because he’s going to tell her if Nat didn’t already, Tony is going to get an earful. Skye hates being left out of the loop, especially if it’s something regarding her.

‘’We could have done this over the weekend, or you know later today when it’s not five a.m.’’.

‘’Does anyone else know why we’re here?’’

‘’Something Skye related I’m sure’’.

‘’What’d she do now?’’

‘’Skye is fine’’.

‘’Are you sure about that Superspy?’’

‘’Considering I saw her two hours ago and she was asleep, I’m positive’’.

‘’We all know when Skye is left to her own devices it usually ends in her punching someone’’.

‘’Is she doing alright with Shield?’’

‘’Good god you people are so annoying’’. 

Kebo comments, not looking away from the phone in his hand.

‘’You do all realize that she’s not some fragile china doll who can’t control herself right?’’

‘’That’s debatable’’.

Rhodey replies, ignoring the glares Ward and Nat send his direction.

Before anyone else can comment Stark walks into the room and hands Nat a mug of coffee, keeping one for himself while taking a seat, Pepper at his side.

‘’Why the hell are we here Stark?’’

Ignoring Kebo Tony pulls out a tablet and taps the screen a few times and an enlarged photo of Skye floats between them.

‘’We’re here to talk about my favorite person in the entire world, besides Pepper’’.

The Avengers exchange a confused glance while the image fades before being replaced by another, a younger Skye stares back at them, face blank, bangs in her eyes.

‘’Is this a power point?’’ Nat asks, amusement coloring her tone.

‘’I’m worried about her’’.

Ward is quick to assure everyone once again, ‘’Skye is fine’’.

‘’Is she Cheekbones? All that pressure on her shoulders running Shield’’.

‘’She can handle it’’.

‘’Can she? Skye was powerful before but now that she’s the Director coupled with being the strongest Inhuman, we’re playing with fire here’’.

Rhodey sighs, ‘’as much as I’d love to sit here and discuss your adopted daughter this seems like a waste of time man’’.

‘’I’m serious, why is no one else concerned?’’

‘’Because Skye isn’t a toddler, she knows what she’s doing’’.

Stark looks to the one person who knows Skye best, ‘’be straight with me Nat’’.

The Black Widow glances at Ward, ‘’I know she’s stressed but it’s nothing she can’t handle’’.

‘’Once again Skye is perfectly fine, she’s been Director of Shield for almost two years, nothing has changed’’.

‘’Except for the fact that she has unlimited power and the President of the United States is basically her bitch’’.

Kebo nods at Stark, ‘’you have a point there, and I’m pretty sure he’s in love with her’’.

Ward turns to face him, ‘’what the hell?’’

‘’Oh like you haven’t noticed the way he looks at her’’.

‘’I mean they do hang out all the time’’.

Ward scowls at Sam, ‘’for work, they’re friends and he’s married’’.

‘’So? Just because you’re married doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy’’.

Stark perks up at this, ‘’Cheekbones are you still making Skye happy? Please tell me she’s not trapped in a miserable marriage’’.

‘’Oh my god’’.

Nat steers the conversation back to its origin, ‘’Skye would tell me if it was too much’’.

Changing the subject Sam asks, ‘’how was jail?’’

‘’Peachy’’.

‘’You were arrested?’’

Stark asks, disapproval in his face.

‘’Briefly’’.

‘’You still doing the mercenary thing?’’

‘’Yeah’’.

Stark shakes his head, ‘’ ‘’Leaving my Quake again? That’s one of the things I’m worried about’’.

Ward grits his teeth, ‘’stay out of my marriage Stark’’.

‘’Stop leaving your wife Ward’’.

‘’Skye is perfectly fine with the work I do and if she wasn’t that’d be between her and I, not you’’.

‘’Boys’’.

Pepper warns and Stark sighs, getting back on track, ‘’I just want her to be safe. Unlimited and unchecked power is a very dangerous thing’’.

‘’She can handle it’’.

‘’Are we sure about that?’’

‘’Stark has a point, I mean we’ve seen how absolute power can corrupt even the best of people, one of these days we could have a Game of Thrones season eight situation’’.

Kebo gasps, ‘’do not bring Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons into this’’.

‘’It’s a perfect example of what could happen to Skye’’.

‘’She’s not just going to snap one day for no reason and burn thousands of people alive’’.

Tony puts a hand to his head, ‘’is this an actual discussion we’re having right now?’’

‘’You brought it on yourself, you know Game of Thrones is a sensitive subject for Kebo and Bruce’’.

Kebo shakes his head sadly, ‘’Khaleesi deserved better’’.

‘’Can we all agree to stop treating Skye like she’s a child who can’t decide what’s best for her? I’m talking to you Tony’’.

Iron Man toys with his wedding ring while Pepper strokes the back of his neck.

‘’I could have lost her in the Snap’’.

A hush falls over the table, even though they got everyone back that Thanos murdered, it’s something the world won’t ever get over.

‘’We could have lost so much more than we did’’.

Nat reminds him, her hand drifting up to the arrowhead necklace she’s worn for years.

‘’Look Tony if Skye ever gets overwhelmed I promise I’ll tell you okay? But as of right now she’s perfectly fine’’.

The image of the last time Grant saw her comes to mind, sound asleep in their bed, tucked beneath the blanket.

Stark drums his fingers on the table, glances at the photo of Quake still displayed and sighs, ‘’fine’’.

Kebo stands, ‘’while this was fun it was completely unnecessary Stark, you all act like idiots when it comes to Quake’’.

Knowing where Iron Man is coming from Ward tells Kebo, ‘’be nice’’.

‘’You know I’m right Jon Snow’’.

Ward rolls his eyes, ‘’that’s not funny’’.

‘’We have another problem besides Alison Price’’.

Nat speaks up, having informed all of the Avengers already of Ward’s meeting with her.

‘’Guess who just popped back up on our radar?’’

The Black Widow has the entire room’s attention now, ‘’you all remember Robin right?’’

The screen in front of them fades from Skye’s image to Robin, an Inhuman Ward hasn’t seen or heard from in years.

‘’Is that the asshole who was working with Hydra?’’

‘’And Senator Christian Ward’’.

Everyone flicks a gaze at Grant when Nat answers for him, ‘’your brother isn’t involved in this’’.

Grant crosses his arms, ‘’are you sure?’’

She smiles, it’s cold and calculated, ‘’we’re sure’’.

He reads in between the lines, she and Bucky must have paid his older brother a visit.

‘’Good’’.

‘’Anyway we haven’t heard from him since he got Skye out of the parallel universe he sent her to, my guess is he’s been hiding in the past ever since so we wouldn’t find him’’.

‘’Have we had any contact with him?’’

Nat shakes her head at Wanda, ‘’I’m going to ask Dr. Strange, see if he can locate him’’.

Ward stands and begins to pace behind Bruce, ‘’Skye thinks Alison is trying to gather Inhumans, what if she’s right? What if Price is trying to build an army or something?’’

Tony snorts, ‘’the Inhumans even if they wanted nothing to do with Skye wouldn’t betray her, they’re too scared’’.

‘’But Robin’s not’’.

‘’What about James?’’

‘’Skye is going to find out’’.

The Avengers sigh as one, worried about the glue that holds them together.

‘’Whatever Alison Price is planning she won’t get far’’.

Tony nods in agreement, ‘’we’ll keep her safe’’.

‘’I have no idea how far Alison is willing to go to punish Skye for killing Rosalind’’.

Skye isn’t the only one who isn’t sorry about the other woman’s death.

‘’I wish Steve was here’’.

Bruce says suddenly and Tony’s mouth twists into a frown. ‘’yeah me too’’.

Nat goes back to twisting the necklace around her neck, ‘’what’s the worst Alison could do?’’

‘’That’s what’s so dangerous, I have no idea’’.

‘’For now let’s just keep an eye on Alison, if she looks like she’s going to make a move we step in’’.

Wanda decides and they all agree.

Kebo glances at Ward, ‘’there Skye goes again causing trouble’’.

‘’Life with her is never boring’’.

The Avengers smile, knowing that’s the truth, they aren’t going to let anything happen to her, not after Thanos and everything else she’s been through.

But there are things even beyond their control, something they are about to reminded of.


	3. I Know That I'm A Handful Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward question Hellfire on his conversation with Alison Price, who finally gets a face to face with Skye and things turn ugly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone needed an image in their head of what Skye and Ward look nowadays, Skye has Daisy Johnson's look in season 5 of Agents of Shield, long dark hair, while Ward looks like he does in season 3, stubble, dark short hair.
> 
> Also if you cared I finally found the perfect song for Skye, Killer Queen by Queen.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

Hotel rooms are only good for two things; sex and naps in between a busy schedule. Otherwise they’re sad spaces with soft pillows and sticky TV remotes that a thousand other people have used. Skye silently walks around the penthouse suite, the white carpet plush beneath her combat boots. The bedside lamp is on the rest of the room cloaked in darkness, gold curtains are sealed shut blocking out the lights of a Los Angeles night.

The California King size bed is still made, the fridge in the kitchen area is stocked with water and expensive miniature bottles of alcohol. Grabbing a vodka Skye heads to the window and sees a newspaper sitting on the table next to it, smirking because of course he still reads an honest to god newspaper, she sits down and scans the most recent article, immediately regretting it when the words unfold.

_‘The Avengers will not return’._

Skye crumples the newspaper with both hands, the ink staining her fingers, and tosses the article and the rest of its contents across the room. She can’t even read the damn paper without being reminded that her family is broken beyond repair, that it will never be what it once was. Quake remembers that every day, she doesn’t need a four page story on how the Avengers were once a team and now they’ve all but disappeared, leaving the world to whatever new Superhero comes next.

The Avengers are never coming back, Thanos in the end won even though he died. He successfully wiped out half the planet and the only reason those people returned is because of Tony Stark, Clint Barton died as a result and Steve Rogers went back to his own time, living a much deserved wonderful life. Skye doesn’t blame him for it anymore, though missing him and Clint comes and goes in waves, sorrow and longing for the people she’ll never see again.

Skye has a sudden longing to be back in her office at the Playground with it’s warm couches and rugs, the comfort it provides when the world stops making sense. She thinks about the images she has on shelves and her desk, pictures in frames of Skye and the Avengers over the years, a few of Ward by himself and with her are scattered in as well, snapshots of her life to prove that not everything was all violence and blood.

If people remember her as a monster she’d also like them to recall that she loved and was loved by the best human beings on the planet. When she goes Quake would like the world to know that she loved someone so much more than should be allowed, that she gave her soul to a man who would do anything for her. That he loved her so completely nothing else mattered as long as he was next to her. It was a long fight to get her and Ward to the place they are in now, she’d kill anyone who tried to threaten it.

The shower is still going in the bathroom, the door locked, and Skye keeps an ear out for when the noise stops. Her phone rings and some of that sorrow evaporates when the screen reads that it’s Tony who’s calling.

‘’Hey Dad’’.

‘’There’s my favorite Quake’’.

‘’Is this a social call or is the world ending?’’

‘’Just wanted to see how you were doing’’.

‘’Peachy’’.

At her tone he asks quietly, ‘’how did this morning go?’’

Sessions with her grief group always leave Skye feeling empty and sad, which is why she’s in this room when she should be at work.

‘’Would you believe me if I said we held hands and sang Come Together by the Beatles?’’

‘’Nope’’.

‘’It was fine but I feel like Maria wants to know every single detail of the accident and I can’t talk about it, not to them’’.

‘’You don’t have to’’.

‘’It took a year and a half for me to discuss it with my husband, I can’t go into vivid details about the worst day of my life with strangers’’.

‘’you don’t have to talk to them if you feel uncomfortable. Is Maria pressuring you? We can find a new group if you want’’.

‘’It’s fine I just, I don’t think I can put those words out into the universe twice you know? Once was painful enough, going through it again, I don’t think I can do it’’.

Perhaps she could if Ward or Natasha held her hand during a meeting, but as of right now discussing the intimate details of her son’s death doesn’t sit right.

Pain begins licking up her spine familiar and heavy that never truly leaves.

Stark is silent for a moment then he says, ‘’when we went back in time to grab the Infinity Stones last year, Nat and I wanted to change that day for you, stop the car accident from ever happening’’.

While this is news to Skye she’s not surprised, she and Ward both thought of doing the same but there just wasn’t enough time, ironically.

‘’I wish I could have changed that for you’’.

‘’I know, it’s okay’’.

If Tony invented the machine to go back in time right after the car accident Skye would have jumped right in, screw everyone Thanos murdered, attempting to get her son back was number one priority.

She would have screamed and cried if Tony confessed this two years ago, but now though the loss is always on her mind, it doesn’t cripple her anymore.

Taking a deep breath Skye changes the subject, ‘’did you see the article about us in the paper?’’

‘’I did, can’t say the journalist was wrong’’.

Even though two members of the team have been lost, the Avengers haven’t been the same since the Sokovia Accords and everyone knows it, Thanos just broke them beyond repair.

‘’Our family really is gone huh?’’

‘’It doesn’t have to be’’.

‘’The Avengers are done, Barton is dead, Steve and Thor are gone, I feel like we’re just a shitty knock off version’’.

‘’Thank god we have new blood right? Peter and Carol, Valkyrie and the Guardians, they’ll probably be better at protecting the world than we were’’.

‘’Probably’’.

Tony quickly changes the subject when he hears the sorrow in her voice, ‘’you’re going after James this morning right?’’

‘’Yeah, just had to pick up something first’’.

James, codename Hellfire, though he doesn’t deserve it because he does absolutely nothing with his powers, is a recent tool that Alison Price is trying to use against Skye and Ward. The thing that’s puzzling Quake is how Price found him, James lives secluded and under the radar, Skye and Nat were the only ones who knew where he was. Secure in the knowledge that James wouldn’t dare betray her, and that he has no idea the ends and outs of the Inhumans, is the only reason she isn’t currently beating the shit out of him.

If Alison was going for intel on Shield she wouldn’t go to James, her first shot should have been at Lincoln or Elena, but Skye has a feeling one Ward shares as well, that’s not why she went after Hellfire. She contacted him because he’s not on the team, he’s not Skye’s number one fan, and arguably he’s pretty powerful when he needs to be. Not powerful enough to take Quake down, but enough to hold her at bay if necessary, which makes him dangerous to Shield and perfect for Price.

The fact that another Price is attempting to kill her is more annoying than anything else, and while she’d love to say Alison is just another psychopath who wants to destroy Skye for no reason like countless others, that wouldn’t be true. Alison has every reason to want revenge, to watch Skye fade to nothing just like Rosalind Price before her very eyes. Quake and Ward did a number on that girl, it’s only natural that she’d want them to pay for everything.

That being said even though Skye understands her reasoning and takes responsibility for it, doesn’t mean she’s going to let Alison live if she touches one hair on Grant’s head. Revenge is a messy business and usually digs more than one grave, Skye is going to make sure no one she loves winds up in the ground. She’s lost too many people already that one more would be too much, she doesn’t want to go through another funeral again.

‘’I think Ward’s girlfriend might have something up her sleeve’’.

The shower shuts off as Skye smirks, ‘’don’t they always?’’

‘’I’m really tired of everyone trying to kill you’’.

Skye clutches the St. Raphael necklace he gave her a while back, ‘’you and me both’’.

‘’I’ll let you know what I find out about Price’’.

‘’Thanks’’.

There’s a smile in his voice when he replies, ‘’be good’’.

‘’No promises’’.

Skye hangs up when the bathroom door opens and steam fills the room, a body fills the doorway as she stands.

Ward steps out with a towel around his waist looking not at all surprised to see her.

‘’Hey sweet cheeks’’.

He runs a second towel through his hair, ‘’what did you tell my client?’’

Of course he knows she’d never put his job in jeopardy, she wouldn’t show up randomly to keep him from the mission without taking care of everything first.

It takes a moment to answer because she’s distracted by the droplets of water running down his naked skin.

‘’You got food poisoning and sent me instead’’.

On her way over Skye took care of Ward’s target, the reason he’s in LA at all, and then broke into his hotel room, it took less than an hour.

She moves to the bed and slips her shoes off, ‘’I can think of a few different ways you can thank me’’.

His cheeks are flushed from the heat of the shower, hair disheveled, whiskey eyes dark as they drink in her every movement.

Taking off her jacket Skye turns down the bed and sinks onto the mattress, balancing her weight on her elbows.

Ward approaches the bed, bends slightly so he’s cupping her cheek, ‘’you okay?’’

He normally would never take a job on the day she has a session with her group, but the date was switched this week and she forgot to tell him.

The heat from his skin is welcome because the room is so cold, Skye leans up so her chest is pressed against his.

‘’I’ve had a really shitty morning’’.

His palm drifts down until it’s resting against her heart, ‘’anything I can do?’’

Skye brushes her fingers over the pulse point in his neck, feels it beat against her skin, ‘’a quickie would make me feel better’’.

Sliding her hands up his arms she grips his shoulders and pulls him down so he’s resting in the cradle of her hips.

His laugh is warm against her neck as he places a kiss there.

‘’We have ten minutes before we need to be on the jet’’.

‘’You going to clue me in on where we’re going?’’

‘’To pick up James, he refused to come into the Playground’’.

He kisses her for a few minutes and then she’s running her hands up his things, taking off the fluffy towel and tossing it to the floor.

‘’How did your meeting go?’’

Ward’s lips are trailing a path down her jaw and she frowns at the question.

‘’Can we talk about it when your hand isn’t on my boob?’’

He removes his fingers and Skye sighs, ‘’that’s not what I meant, you’re killing the mood’’.

‘’Sorry, I just want to make sure’’-

‘’Ward I swear to god’’.

Opening her eyes his concerned look is overwhelming, ‘’I’m fine’’.

She’s gripping his hair when he responds, ‘’I heard your conversation with Tony’’.

And there goes the sexy thoughts.

‘’You really want to talk about my father figure while you’re naked and on top of me?’’

Clearing his throat Grant says suddenly, ‘’yeah we can talk about it later’’.

‘’Thank god’’.

Wrapping both her legs around his waist she kisses him and makes him forget what they were discussing in the first place.

Two hours later the quinjet is lands near the outskirts of Las Vegas, the desert air warm and sand swirling. Skye steps out of the Shield SUV they drove to James’ trailer in and both she and Ward look around the area, besides the silver trailer and old Ford truck, there’s nothing and no one else in sight. Taking off her jacket she glares back at Ward, ‘’you couldn’t have parked closer?’’ He shrugs silently responding, _you told me to park here._

James’ trailer would appear vacant to the untrained eye but both Ward and Skye can see movement inside as they approach, Skye stops at the hand written sign, _‘Violators Will Be Shot’_.

‘’He literally has the power of fire and is threatening people with a gun? Pussy’’.

Ward checks the perimeter again, his gaze shifting downwards as she takes a step.

‘’Skye stop’’-

Too late, her boot crunches in the sand and they both freeze.

Ward bends down to confirm his suspicions his hand firm as it wraps protectively around her ankle.

‘’I’m stepping on a land mine aren’t I?’’

‘’Yeah’’.

‘’Dick’’.

James himself comes out of trailer arms crossed, slamming the door behind him.

‘’Well well well if it isn’t my favorite psychotic Inhuman, and look Ward is here too, nice to see you again man’’.

‘’Don’t move’’. Ward says quietly his glare aimed at the other man.

‘’Oh come on Ward don’t give me that face it’s not like I aimed to kill your dearly beloved, my land is protected from anyone who steps on it’’.

‘’You paranoid little asshole, shut these down now’’.

He cocks his head at Skye, long blonde hair blowing in the wind, ‘’no thank you’’.

‘’If Ward doesn’t shoot you in the next three seconds I will’’.

‘’You won’t kill me Quake, you need me just like Alison Price does’’.

Grant stands as Skye sighs, ‘’I have to do everything myself’’.

Making sure her husband is a safe distance away Skye bends down swiftly careful not to move her right leg, and places a hand on the ground. Powers rushing out of her skin they seek out the energy and vibrations of each explosive device, ten in all, and destroy them. The explosions travel in sporadic lines leading all the way up to James, who flinches, is forced to take cover behind his truck. When the dust settles he’s cursing and clearing broken glass from his hair.

Ward holds onto her arm as she takes a step forward, breathes a sigh of relief when they don’t have any more surprises.

James peeks out from the driver’s side of his vehicle, ‘’do you realize how many hours of manual labor that took me?’’

‘’Don’t care’’.

‘’Weeks Quake, weeks’’.

‘’What does Alison Price want with you?’’

The couple takes Hellfire’s invitation to come inside at the promise he’ll explain.

Skye takes one look at the messy interior of the trailer, annoyance turning into worry.

‘’A bunk at the Playground is nicer than this shit-hole’’.

James digs into a mini fridge after tossing aside piles of magazines, ‘’you know how I feel about people Quake’’.

‘’You’d have a team of people exactly like you’’-

‘’Spare me the sales pitch again please, I didn’t want anything to do with your Inhumans years ago, my stance remains the same now’’.

‘’Stupid’’.

He tosses her and Ward a bottle of water, ‘’not everyone wants to be a part of your crusade’’.

‘’Living with us would be better than here’’.

‘’Always taking care of us Inhumans even if we want nothing to do with you’’.

They seat at a small fold out card table with coffee stains and squeaky chairs.

There’s one window smudged with dirt but if you squint you can see the road leading up to the trailer.

James looks to Ward, ‘’you and your wife really did a number on this Price woman’’.

‘’We’re aware’’.

‘’She claims you broke her heart and Skye ruined her life’’.

‘’We know the details, just tell us what she said to you, what she wants’’.

James grins into his water bottle, ‘’what does everyone want Quake? Power. You have it, she wants to take it from you in the name of revenge. You have to admit she is kind of justified, you did kill her mother’’.

‘’Yeah well her bitch of a mother created weapons to kill me so’’.

‘’Yet here you are, and she’s in the ground’’.

‘’I am pretty hard to kill’’.

‘’Clearly’’.

Ward’s frustration at the conversation is evident only to Skye, she runs a hand down his back to relax tense muscles, ‘’cut the shit James’’.

‘’Always so dramatic, fine, I was eating dinner not too far from here and Alison just showed up, wanted to know if I wanted to join her hate fan club, offered me a hundred thousand dollars to stab you in the back’’.

‘’And did you?’’

He snorts, ‘’I may not like you Quake but I’m not stupid enough to betray you, if I’m ever in a fight I’d want you on my side, not against me’’.

‘’You aren’t as dumb as you look’’.

He shoots her a wink, ‘’anyway Price got all pissed off I didn’t want to join her and left in a hurry, but not before asking if I knew where any other Inhumans were that wanted no part of your team’’.

‘’Did you tell her to shove it?’’

‘’Course I did. If I had to guess I’d say she’s looking to round up a bunch of our kind to rally up against you. I bet she figures if she can get enough powered people they’d be enough to take you down’’.

‘’It won’t work’’.

‘’I know that, you’re the most dangerous individual on this planet, you could destroy the entire universe under the right circumstances. Like if your precious Natasha died, or Ward’’.

Skye hums and looks to her husband, ‘’and you said Destroyer of Worlds was a dumb nickname’’.

‘’Those weren’t my exact words’’.

‘’I’d be careful around Alison Quake, revenge is a bloody affair’’.

‘’The last thing I need is for you to worry about me’’.

‘’Don’t flatter yourself I just don’t want to see you dead, you’re the only one who protects Inhumans, the first one who ever gave a shit about any of us. I don’t want to lose that’’.

Skye rarely shows emotion in front of anyone who isn’t her immediate family but his comment brings tears to her eyes. If she could go back right now to that eighteen year old girl she once was, who felt all alone in the world, Skye would take her hand and tell her everything is going to be alright. That one day she’ll meet people just as different as she is and make the world a better place for them, so that no one would ever feel rejected or disgusting ever again.

Quake is so proud of herself in this moment, who would have thought any of this would happen? It took blood sweat and tears to get where she is now, to make a name for Inhumans and protect them, there’s not one alive that she wouldn’t lay down her life for, even Robin and James if she had to. Ward knowing where her head is at, cups the back of her neck and squeezes her knee, he’s proud of her too.

‘’So do you have a plan to take her out?’’

Skye clears her expression, glances at Grant and asks in Russian, _‘’you think we can trust him?’’_

_‘’No, but he doesn’t want you dead, that’s something’’._

_‘’I have an idea, you’re not going to like it’’._

He gives her a look and she continues, _‘’we have James set up another meeting with Alison, he can be our mole, find out what she’s up to while we listen in’’._

Grant both approves and hates these plans for various reasons, which is why he’s wearing his hate face.

_‘’It’s our best bet to find out what the hell she’s doing’’._

‘’Can you two speak in English please? God I hate dealing with spies’’.

Skye watches as Ward analyzes this idea from every angle, weighs the ups and downs, everything that could go wrong, takes their safety into account and how successful it could be.

‘’It’s our best option babe, especially since you can’t bat your eyelashes at Alison anymore and she’ll tell you anything you want to know’’.

He sighs and leans back in the chair, assessing James in that calculated way of his.

‘’Why is he looking at me like that?’’

‘’He’s deciding if he wants to use you or not’’.

‘’And if I say no? Quake I really don’t want to be involved’’.

‘’You got involved the second Alison Price called you’’. She snaps and James leans away from her.

‘’This is why people don’t like you’’.

‘’Story of my life’’.

Ward makes a choice a few minutes later, ‘’how do you feel about wearing a wire?’’

‘’It doesn’t excite me’’.

James stands and begins to pace the small space, ‘’I don’t want to die for you Quake’’.

‘’Stop being so dramatic you literally have powers, Alison can’t touch you’’.

‘’Can you promise me that?’’

‘’If she points a gun at you just set her ass on fire’’.

‘’That’s fair, fine I’m in. But this is a one-time deal Quake, this doesn’t mean I’m joining your band of misfits’’.

‘’Just shut up and call her’’.

Ward holds her hand as James dials the number.

Three hours later Skye, Ward, Coulson and Kebo are in a Shield van disguised as a cleaning service while James walks into the designated meeting area Alison set up. It’s a small doctor’s office and every employee has already gone home for the evening. The security cameras were down courtesy of Price, but Skye hacks into them so she can see what’s going on. James heads inside and is immediately met with a team of Price’s personal security.

‘’That’s new’’.

Skye zooms in on the monitor to make sure they can’t detect the wire under his shirt or the ear piece.

‘’If she thinks a small militia of dumb asses is going to keep her safe from me, she has another thing coming’’.

‘’Alison feels threatened, which is why she hired a group of former Navy Seals to protect her’’.

‘’Because of Skye or because you threatened her?’’

Quake shoots a glare at Phil, ‘’does it matter? I’m pretty sure we can stop blaming Ward for this’’.

‘’Why are you being rude to me? Thought we were friends’’.

‘’Actually I still kind of hate you’’.

Kebo raises a hand, ‘’same’’.

Grant tells them to hush and moves behind Skye, hands on her shoulders as they watch James clear security and be directed into a room to the right.

‘’He better not screw this up’’.

In case he does though Mack and Yo-Yo are on standby to storm the building and get him out.

James enters an exam room and there Alison Price sits dressed in all black, her lipstick dark like her outfit, an ensemble that makes Skye snort. Price grins at the Inhuman while playing with a scalpel.

‘’Glad to see you changed your mind’’.

‘’Thought about your offer a little more, decided I couldn’t refuse it’’.

‘’So you’re really going to do it huh? Betray Quake’’.

‘’I don’t really see it that way, it’s not like she means anything to me. You had an offer and I’m here to cash in on it, it’s nothing personal’’.

‘’Just good business then’’.

‘’Exactly, but it’s personal for you yeah? How exactly are you going to make my fearless leader Quake suffer?’’

Alison sits on the counter and crosses her legs.

‘’I can’t reveal all my secrets yet, we’re only getting started’’.

When James tenses Skye puts a finger to the com in her ear and says, ‘’relax, she’s just having her Evil Creepy Monologue moment, it’ll pass’’.

‘’Tell me James why do you want this? What made you turn against Quake, besides the money I offered’’.

He pretends to think for a moment and then says, ‘’she acts like she’s every single Inhuman’s voice, like she knows exactly what we want and need without ever asking’’.

That’s probably true, James has never agreed on everything she stands for.

‘’Sounds frustrating’’.

‘’Thank god I’m not with her every single day we’d probably kill each other. I don’t know how her husband deals with it’’.

At the mention of Ward Alison’s eyes light up, though she tries to hide it behind a bitter mask.

She grabs a glass case full of cotton balls and pulls one out, ‘’speaking of her husband, what do you know about Grant Ward?’’

‘’He’s a tool’’.

Skye and Kebo laugh while Grant rolls his eyes.

‘’You know anything about his family?’’

At the mention of the assholes who abused him for years Ward perks up, why is she going this route?

James studies her black heeled boots, ‘’what does that have to do with anything?’’

‘’Did you know Senator Christian Ward is Grant’s older brother?’’

‘’I never made the connection but yeah, they do kind of look alike’’.

‘’We do not’’.

Ward mutters while Skye covers his hand that’s still on her shoulder with her own.

‘’Did you also know that Christian hates his little brother and has tried to kill him on several occasions?’’

There’s no way she’d know that unless she was working with someone in Hydra who still remembered.

‘’He sounds like an asshole’’.

‘’I’ve been trying to get into contact with him for weeks but am never able to’’.

Skye looks up to find Grant strung tight, his jaw clenched, did he know about this?

‘’What interest is Ward’s family to you?’’

Alison smirks, a flash of white teeth against her midnight colored lipstick.

‘’There’s no shortage of people who hate Quake and Grant Ward, you just have to know where to look’’.

Skye tells James to slyly slide in Hydra into his next comment, testing a hunch her and Ward both share.

‘’And I’m assuming Hydra is helping supply you with all this information? If I remember correctly they hate Quake more than anyone’’.

‘’I wouldn’t say more than anyone, but yes. They may not have a Director at the moment but there are still several agents who would love to see Skye and Grant Ward bleed’’.

James whistles, ‘’they really screwed you up huh?’’

Alison’s eyes narrow, ‘’I’m justified in this, they deserve it’’.

‘’Spoken like a true power hungry tyrant, isn’t that what they all say? Everyone who ever wronged me deserves to die, woe is me, I shouldn’t be judged when their blood spills on my hands because they hurt my feelings?’’

Ward hisses that James needs to be careful but Alison just grins.

‘’Something like that’’.

James walks around the room until he’s leaning against the wall, ‘’do you have any idea how powerful Quake is? You’re going to need more than some Navy Seals and Hydra agents to take her down. Not to mention every single one of the Avengers will be on your ass if you try to touch her, you can’t possibly defeat them on your own’’.

‘’I’m not worried about the Avengers’’.

‘’You should be, and how about my fellow Inhumans on her team? There are a few that may be stronger than me, they’ll defend her no matter what’’.

Alison examines her fingernails, ‘’they aren’t a concern’’.

‘’Either you’re the most delusional idiot on the planet, or you have something or someone more powerful than Quake’’.

‘’Let’s just say whenever I do decide to make a move against Quake, she’ll never see it coming’’.

‘’And what about Ward? You going to kill him too?’’

This hatred so strong comes into Alison’s face, twisting it into darkness.

‘’I’m going to make him watch while I take his wife from him. I want to see his face when he loses her forever, they deserve to know what it feels like to watch the person you love most fade away’’.

‘’Jesus Christ’’.

Coulson looks over to Skye and Ward, ‘’congratulations, you two made a super-villain’’.

‘’My bad’’.

Ward just squeezes Skye’s shoulders and makes a note to keep a closer eye on Christian.

‘’So now that your evil plan is all laid out, where do I come in?’’

‘’Once I pay you you’re going to do two things for me; one when Quake comes after me I need you to make sure she doesn’t kill me’’.

‘’Alright’’.

‘’Two, call her and pretend you want to join her team now’’.

James rolls his eyes, ‘’I’ve been avoiding that for years, she’ll never believe me’’.

‘’Say whatever you have to in order to make her believe you, I don’t care what it is’’.

‘’Did anyone ever tell you you’re very high strung?’’

Alison huffs, ‘’do we have a deal or not?’’

‘’I suppose, I just have one question’’.

‘’What?’’

‘’In your grand plan to take down the most powerful person in the world did you ever consider what will happen if you fail?’’

‘’It’s not going to happen’’.

‘’But if it does do you have a plan B?’’

‘’No this is it, this has to work or else’’-

‘’Or else Skye will kill you with Ward’s help’’.

There’s a beat of silence and then Price says, almost to herself, ‘’he ruined my life in order to save her’’.

‘’Well that is his wife’’.

‘’She didn’t deserve it! That woman is a monster who should never be allowed to walk this earth again. If I have to die as a result of this then fine, but I’m taking her with me’’.

Kebo whistles, ‘’you two may have your work cut out for this one’’.

Skye rolls her eyes, ‘’she’s one girl, what the hell could she possibly do to me?’’

‘’I bet a hundred people have thought the same thing when you threaten them’’.

That shuts her up.

After a few more minutes Skye stands, annoyed and tired of this Alison situation when it could easily be put to rest with a wave of her hand.

‘’This ends now’’.

Before anyone can stop her she’s out of the van and walking through the front door.

The men Alison employed put up a fight but they’re no match for her. There are ten in total and Skye takes them out with her bare hands, not wanting to draw any attention yet with her powers. The first one she grabs by the shoulder and twists until bones snap, kicks him in the back and he crashes into a desk a few feet away. The second pulls out a knife and she turns the tables, uses it on him. The third and fourth try working together to take her down, but they are shoved into windows and can’t move.

Numbers fix, six and seven manage to grab her by the arms and legs in an attempt to hold her down, but she breaks out of their hold and uses a spare chair and laptop to render them unconscious. The remaining three attempt to use their guns and are met with violence and breaking bones, their blood on the floor. Wasting no time Skye flies into the room James and Alison are occupying, holding out a hand as the doors burst open and crack, crashing into the walls.

‘’Wow that happened a lot faster than I thought it would’’. James comments as Skye stands in front of him and glares at the woman who wants her demise more than anything. Alison’s face is pale as she takes a step back, casting a confused glance at the door like her bodyguards are going to rush in and protect her. 

‘’They’re not coming Alison, no one is going to help you’’.

Price looks at James who shrugs, ‘’sorry love I’m not stupid enough to side with you on this one’’.

‘’You set me up’’.

‘’Skye had the better deal, it’s nothing personal’’.

Skye redirects Alison’s attention, ‘’whatever the hell you’re planning I’d stop if I were you, quit while you’re ahead before you piss me off’’.

‘’I’m not afraid of you’’.

‘’Yes you are, I warned your mother once about what would happen if she came up against me, if you’re not careful you’re going to meet the same fate she did’’.

At the mention of Rosalind Alison clenches her fists, ‘’don’t you dare talk about my mother’’.

‘’Don’t threaten Ward, back off Alison before I dig your grave too’’.

She shakes her head tears in your eyes, ‘’you don’t get it’’.

‘’I do, and I’m warning you to stop before I make you’’.

Alison smiles but there’s nothing happy about it, ‘’you gave me the best gift Quake, nothing to lose’’.

Those are the most dangerous kind of people, they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want.

‘’You and Ward ruined me’’.

‘’If you’re looking to blame someone for your fragile heart don’t look at Ward’’.

‘’What are you talking about?’’

Skye had no intention of heading this route and Grant is going to be so pissed about it, but she does it anyway.

‘’Who do you think gave him the idea to join the ATCU and lie to you? We’re partners, a team, I planned everything and he executed it. If you want to hate someone for everything that happened, hate me. Ward was just going along with it because he loves me’’.

Alison sucks in a breath as tears fall down her cheeks, smearing her makeup.

‘’I’ll never understand why he loves you’’.

‘’Honey it’s been ten years and I still don’t get it’’.

‘’You’re a monster’’.

‘’Then I guess we’re monsters together’’.

There’s a pause, a decision to be made and Skye waits with her arms at her sides to see which direction Alison is going to go.

There’s a rustle of movement and the back of Skye’s neck prickles, she doesn’t have to look to know Ward is behind her now, Kebo more than likely in tow, Price’s eyes widen at the sight of him.

‘’It’s not too late Alison you haven’t hurt anyone yet, we can help you’’.

Skye wrinkles her nose at Grant, ‘’we didn’t discuss that option’’.

‘’We haven’t discussed a number of things’’. He fires back, he has a point.

‘’You two really know how to create drama from nothing don’t you?’’

‘’Squishy shut the hell up’’.

‘’Someone is in a mood today’’.

Alison answers Ward’s comment, ‘’you mean arrest me and throw me in a hole? No thanks’’.

‘’I mean bring you into the Playground for questioning and then setting you up with a psychologist’’.

Price looks in between them for a moment, ‘’and let your wife continue to break people apart? I’ll pass. Also you were literally threatening me two days ago to stay away from Skye and now you’re trying to save me? Screw off’’.

Her glare turns hostile as she focuses on Skye, ‘’do you believe the shit coming out of his mouth?’’

‘’I try not to’’.

At Ward’s expression she sighs, ‘’I mean she does have a point, killing her would be the best option babe’’.

Skye hardly has time to hold her hands out when bullets from automatic weapons begin firing in their direction, Grant pulls her to safety while she grabs James to join them behind a counter. Over the spray of gunfire she yells, ‘’anytime you want to use your powers would be great!’’ James takes a deep breath and peeks out stretching his hand until flames lick up his arms, guiding the fire to create a barrier between them and the men clearly on Alison’s side trying to kill them.

There’s a shout as the flames grow higher and smoke fills the air, taking a chance and knowing Skye is going to cover him, Ward breaks the nearest window and practically shoves her through it. Turning around to face the building Skye makes everyone back a safe distance away and then holds out both hands, destroying the structure in two minutes. ‘’That’s going to be fun to explain to Asher’’. Skye doesn’t understand the look Grant gets on his face at the mention of the President.

Hours later after James was sent home with a protection detail because he refused to stay with Shield, two meetings with the President and three different phone calls from very worried Avengers, Skye stands in the gym at the Playground and rewraps her hands, intending to go a few more round with the punching bag in front of her. Sweat already coats her sports bra and bare skin, her shirt lies rumpled on the ground by her foot.

Channeling the stress of the day into the bag once more, Skye loses track of time until her muscles ache and lungs burn. Taking a sip of water she feels a familiar heart beat in her palms, turns to find Ward shouldering the doorway. He’s freshly showered and wearing the blue sweater she got him last year, it brings out the color of his eyes and dark hair. Wiping the sweat from her brow Skye turns fully so they’re facing one another.

‘’You showered without me?’’

‘’It wasn’t as fun’’.

‘’I have a couple phone calls to make but I can do it at home, ready to go?’’

Their bed is calling her name, she’s been wanting to sink into the mattress all day.

‘’We should talk’’.

Skye groans, ‘’do we have to?’’

‘’Why did you take the blame for me with the ATCU?’’

‘’Because I love you, next question’’.

He falters, like even after all this time he can’t believe the depth of her feelings for him.

‘’Do you want to talk about your session this morning?’’

‘’Oh I get a choice?’’ She snaps and then immediately regrets it.

‘’Sorry, it’s been a long day, in the morning okay?’’

‘’You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to’’.

She waves him off, ‘’you know I do I’m just tired’’.

Grant walks up and she turns so he wraps himself around her from behind.

‘’I’m all sweaty’’.

‘’It doesn’t bother me’’.

She sighs and melts into his touch, places both hands on his arms around her stomach.

‘’I’d do anything to protect you, you don’t deserve Alison’s hatred’’.

‘’Neither do you’’.

‘’Beating a dead horse Ward’’.

He buries his face in her neck, smelling like spice and the body wash he’s worn for years.

‘’You think she survived the fire and earthquake?’’

Skye closes her eyes and leans as far back as she can into his chest, ‘’knowing our luck probably’’.

‘’I’m not going to let her hurt you’’.

‘’Ditto’’.

He kisses her hair, ‘’do you have any idea how much I love you?’’

Warmth spills all over her skin, ‘’multiply it by a hundred and it’s almost how much I love you’’.

He laughs, ‘’and you say I’m the cheesy one in this relationship’’.

‘’Grant?’’

‘’Yes?’’

‘’Do you really want to save Alison?’’

He’s silent for a long time and then finally responds, ‘’if she tries to kill you? Of course not. But she’s on a path right now that could go either way, good or bad. I just don’t want her to end up the way I could have’’.

At his tone she squeezes his arms in comfort and he continues, ‘’right after John died I wish there was someone who offered me an alternative route, a second chance, to help me put that pain somewhere other than self-hatred and a stupid revenge kick’’.

‘’Maybe she doesn’t want to be saved’’.

‘’Neither did I, then I met you’’.

They hold each other in silence for a moment before Skye remembers something.

‘’Alison mentioned your brother, do you want to talk about that?’’

‘’Nothing really to talk about, she didn’t say anything I didn’t already know. I’m surprised she reached out to him though’’.

‘’But not that he didn’t want in on her evil plans to destroy us?’’

He chuckles against her hair, ‘’Christian knows exactly what will happen if he ever tries to hurt you again’’.

‘’That was dark’’.

When it’s clear he’s over the subject she brings up something else, ‘’why did you get all weird when I mentioned Asher earlier?’’

When he doesn’t respond Skye looks up at him, ‘’you’re wearing your hate face’’.

Grant sighs, ‘’it’s stupid’’.

‘’Tell me’’.

The uncomfortable vibe he’s giving off has her pressing, ‘’please? I’ll make you pumpkin pancakes when we get home’’.

The awkwardness turns to panic in his eyes, ‘’you’ll set the house on fire, please don’t’’.

That only happened once in their old apartment, she hasn’t attempted to make him breakfast since.

‘’Fine, I’ll give you a blow’’-

‘’Kebo made some comment about Asher being in love with you’’.

Skye bursts into laughter and wishes Kebo were here so he could join in, and then she could punch him.

‘’It’s stupid I know’’.

Wiping her eyes Skye faces him and wraps both arms around his back, ‘’first of all Asher is married and we’re just friends, he’s the first President in the White House that actually respects and listens to me, views me and the Inhumans as people instead of monsters’’.

His hands running up her back is so distracting she nearly misses his response.

‘’I’m so proud of you Skye’’.

She stands on her toes to kiss his chin, ‘’is your insecure moment over?’’

‘’I was not being insecure’’.

She holds his face with both hands, ‘’Asher is not in love with me and even if he was it’s one-sided. I love you, I’m married to you and nothing is ever going to change that’’.

His kiss tastes like coffee and home, she’s probably kissed him a million times and could do it a million more and never tire.

‘’You’re stuck with me Grant Douglas, no take backs’’.

He smiles against her lips, ‘’I’d never want anyone else’’.

After he kisses her for the second time he locks the door to the gym, and they don’t make it home until three a.m.


	4. You Play Stupid Games You Win Stupid Prizes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Natasha find out what Alison Price has been up to.

_‘’Death doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints, it takes and it takes and it takes, and we keep living anyway’’._

Standing in the cemetery with cold winter air burning his cheeks, that song runs a loop in Grant Ward’s mind. Kebo listened to it on the way over and the words seem forever ingrained into his brain, as if he could pour bleach and they’d still be there, taunting him. The graveyard is empty this early in the morning, the sun just now rising, the silence so loud in this awful place. A headstone towers above him in shiny black marble, fresh flowers resting against the grass.

Death, Ward has learned, has a funny way of altering one’s life. You turn around one afternoon to smile at the person you love only to remember they’re gone. You go to call them in the middle of the afternoon and it isn’t until you dial the number that you realize they aren’t going to pick up, that they never will again. Just last week Kebo did something particularly stupid and Grant typed out a message to describe the event to Clint Barton.

He was halfway through the text when he realized Barton will never respond, will never read the words and laugh along with Grant. Sadness he’s also learned comes and goes in waves, never leaving but eventually stops its soul crushing weight. Hawkeye’s empty tombstone is the biggest one in this field courtesy of Tony Stark, though the pictures in frames, paintings and poems held down by rocks littered all over the ground, are from fans and friends who miss him dearly.

Two years ago when the Avengers went up against Thanos to bring everyone back that he murdered, they suffered the loss of two of their own, something they won’t ever recover from. Snow begins falling as Ward finishes paying his respects, lays a hand against the cold stone and expresses how much he misses his friend. In all the long years of the awful lifestyle Grant leads, losing someone never gets any easier.

Even though Barton will be forever immortalized as a hero, people sing his praises in the streets, Ward can’t help but still be a little angry with him. Sacrificing your life to save the world is noble and heroic, but it doesn’t soothe the emptiness you leave behind, doesn’t stop the grief from spreading to everyone you love. Because even though you did the most selfless act imaginable, you’re still dead, and nothing can make up for that. 

The grass crunches behind him and Ward lingers for a moment before turning back to Kebo, who’s equally distraught expression is more out of sympathy for Grant himself, than the hollow grave below them. They’re no strangers to death taking the ones they care about, Ward wonders how he and Kebo’s stories will end, which one of them will stand at each other’s graves first with a hole in their hearts that nothing will be able to fill.

Even though Ward is miserable Clint is gone, there’s a small part of him that’s relieved it wasn’t Natasha. If the Black Widow were gone he’s honestly not sure Skye would be able to survive that loss, the bond between the two women runs so deep that cutting one from the other is unimaginable. Grant is terrified of the day that actually happens because he has no idea how his wife is going to handle that, he knows all too well how much grief can absolutely destroy a person.

He and Kebo are in the car leaving the cemetery when he speaks up, ‘’your wife made the news again’’.

‘’What happened?’’

Grant has been out of town and just arrived home late last night, Skye spend the weekend at Tony’s cabin and wasn’t there when he fell asleep on the couch.

‘’She and President Asher were at a Security Council meeting and apparently they’re working on passing another law regarding Inhumans’’.

At the look on Grant’s face Kebo grins and pokes him in the shoulder, ‘’jealousy looks terrible on you’’.

‘’I am not jealous’’.

‘’Sure you’re not’’.

‘’You know if you and Tony didn’t’’-

‘’Relax Turbo you and I both know Skye would never cheat on you’’.

He catches a glimpse of a photo on Kebo’s phone of the President and Quake walking into the Whitehouse, and the way the other man is looking at her could be out of context, but it bothers him nonetheless.

‘’You’re wearing your hate face’’.

Ward stops at a red light and relaxes his shoulders, ‘’do you think they’d give me a life sentence for punching the President of the United States in the face?’’

‘’Maybe? I’d break you out of prison though just like I did in Vault D’’.

‘’You didn’t break me out of Vault D’’.

‘’I picked you up in the middle of nowhere so I was the most important part of that plan’’.

‘’I would have been fine without you’’.

They both know he wouldn’t have, Kebo was one of the only reasons Grant didn’t put a bullet in his head after everything he suffered at the hands of Shield.

Thirty minutes later Kebo sighs and turns the radio station up and down, ‘’are we there yet?’’

‘’Almost’’.

‘’I’m starving, why didn’t you pack snacks?’’

Ward switches lanes on the highway, ‘’I’m sorry my first thought at visiting a cemetery wasn’t bringing a bag of pretzels for you’’.

‘’First of all you know my favorite snack is dried mangos’’.

‘’How could I forget?’’

‘’Your sarcasm is not appreciated’’.

‘’Check the glovebox, I think Skye left chips in there’’.

He does and a bag of lemon lime flavored potato chips rests in between a fake I.D. and a gun.

‘’Oh thank god’’.

A couple hours later they pull into the Playground and Kebo goes to one of the bars on the first floor while Ward heads up to Skye’s office, the underground base is quiet today, Shield agents are either in one of the many gyms, training rooms, or on a mission. Grant passes the lab on his way by and Fitz and Simmons are arguing about something but they wave hello when he passes. The new Playground is bigger than the last, better security, nearly indestructible, Skye and Thor made sure of it.

Mack and Yo-Yo nod his way when he walks by the kitchen, Lincoln gives him a smile as he begins making breakfast for the day. Coulson and May are speaking his hushed tones when Grant turns a corner, Phil tells him good morning while May just glares, her ice cold attitude towards him has never changed and probably never will, the Calvary will never forgive him for the sins of his past, not that he cares anyway.

Skye’s office is locked when he tries the door handle, knowing she’s inside he punches in the code and places his left palm on the scanner, it only takes a moment to clear him through. The room is dark save for a lamp on Skye’s massive oak desk and the video monitor hanging on the wall playing different news stations all over the world. Skye herself sits in her office chair surrounded by paperwork and spreadsheets, both her laptop and computer monitor on. 

A mug of coffee is still steaming beside her elbow and three empty energy drinks are on the floor by her bare foot. She looks up and smiles when she notices who entered into the office, though she quickly goes back to typing on her laptop and chews on the cap of her pen. Coming up behind her Grant kisses the top of her head and starts rubbing her shoulders, the best thing about working out of town is always returning home to Skye, their reunions sweet and unhurried.

‘’Hey’’.

‘’Hi, you look busy’’.

She shrugs and sweeps her long brown hair over one shoulder, he places a kiss against the skin of her neck.

She shudders after a moment, ‘’I can’t work with you doing that’’.

Teeth against her skin he replies, ‘’so don’t’’.

She spins around in her chair and places both hands on his belt, ‘’couch, my desk is too messy’’.

In one quick movement he picks her up her legs around his waist, kissing her like it’s been months that they’ve been apart.

The black leather couch is cool against they’re skin when they reach it, Grant lays Skye against the pillows and takes off her shirt, her nails running down his spine when he removes her bra. Her lips against his jaw Skye suddenly tightens her legs around him and switches their positions so she’s on top. Straddling his waist Skye places her hands on his chest and bends down to kiss him, her hair creating a dark curtain around their faces.

He’s stripping off her sweatpants while she’s pulling off his shirt when her phone vibrates loudly on the coffee table beside them. ‘’Ignore it’’. He breathes as she takes off his belt and tosses it on the floor, his hands drifting down to cup her backside. Grant all but tunes the entire world out as they continue to undress and when nothing separates them he tells her he loves her. Smiling Skye kisses him slowly holding his face, and then the phone vibrates again.

Once he can tell her attention is split between him and the phone that continues to ring, Ward stops and tells her to answer it. She says it can wait but judging by the way the screen lights up nonstop he shakes his head, it could be an emergency. Sighing Skye sits up to grab the device, still on top of him she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. Wiping the sweat from his brow Ward rests both hands on her hips as she reads and then sets the phone back down.

‘’Everything okay?’’ Skye nods and covers his mouth with her own, kissing her way down his chest her fingers on his thighs, when her phone rings once again. Since she didn’t react like it was a life or death situation a moment ago, Ward tries to ignore it, but it’s starting to annoy him.

When it’s clear he’s not into it Skye sighs, ‘’it’s not important’’.

‘’It must be if’’-

‘’It’s just Asher’’.

And there goes his mood.

Before he can say anything Skye narrows her eyes, ‘’don’t make that face’’.

‘’Why is he texting you so much?’’

‘’Because we work closely together and are in the middle of trying to pass a law on Inhuman rights’’.

Grant can feel a scowl working at his lips and Skye starts to smirk, ‘’I forgot how hot you are when you’re jealous’’.

‘’Not jealous’’.

He’s very secure in his relationship with Skye to know that she will only ever love him and that no one else holds any interest, it’s the same for him.

But that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable with another man developing feelings for her.

‘’Grant’’.

Skye pinches his chin between two fingers, ‘’who am I married to?’’

He strokes her hips, ‘’me’’.

‘’Who have I been in love with for ten years without fail?’’

Smiling he replies, ‘’me’’.

‘’And who do I have sex with every night?’’

Ward snorts, ‘’well that’s definitely not me’’.

Skye raises an eyebrow, ‘’was that your subtle way of telling me you’re unhappy with our sex life?’’

‘’What? Of course not’’.

‘’Because I’m not the one who goes out of town twice a month, I’m not the one who gets home at three a.m. when I’m already asleep and I sure as hell’-

Ward cuts her off with a kiss and pulls her down against his chest, ‘’I love you and I’m happy to spend every single day of my life with you’’.

He feels her smile against his skin, ‘’good save’’.

‘’I wasn’t trying to insinuate’’-

‘’I know’’.

Holding her in his arms, it’s the only thing he wants to do for the rest of time.

Her phone goes off again and Grant hears Tony’s taunts in his head, apparently the words got to him more than he thought.

‘’You know we still have an hour before my next meeting’’.

Skye mumbles into his chest and Ward grins, ready to finish what they started.

It doesn’t happen, Skye is below him her cries muffled against a throw pillow when someone knocks on the door.

When the volume increases Skye yells, ‘’go away!’’

Victoria, her longtime assistant replies, ‘’the Black Widow is looking for you, says it’s important’’.

‘’I’m busy’’.

‘’Boss trust me when I tell you you’ll want to see this’’.

Placing both hands on Ward’s shoulders he stops and they both catch their breath.

‘’Is it food related?’’

‘’No, it’s Alison Price related’’.

That gets their attention quickly, Ward kisses Skye and promises they’ll steal some time together later.

They dress and Skye crosses the room and throws open her office door, ‘’this better be good’’.

Victoria grins at Ward as he crosses the threshold, ‘’good morning Ward’’.

‘’It was’’.

Both she and Skye laugh at his grumpy tone.

They step out into the hallway where the Black Widow and Winter Solider are waiting, Skye immediately brightens at the sight of her former mentor and hugs her.

Bucky Barnes appraises Ward with his usual blank expression, though he offers the former Specialist a smirk, which turns into a full smile when Skye greets him.

‘’Hope we didn’t interrupt anything’’.

Nat comments, her cool tone implying she knew exactly what they were doing.

Sometimes Ward is convinced the Avengers purposely stop him from being intimate with Skye.

‘’Your shirt is on backwards Superspy’’.

Ward feels the tips of his ears turn pink as Bucky and Nat walk into Skye’s office, who chuckles as he puts his shirt on the right way.

Victoria puts out coffee and muffins before leaving the Avengers to whatever this meeting is, Ward sits on the couch Skye in his lap, while Romanoff and Barnes sit in the opposite one across from them.

‘’Alison Price better be gasping for breath in a ditch somewhere’’.

Skye warns as Natasha scrolls through her phone and Bucky throws an arm across the back of the couch.

‘’We found her base of operations, figured you’d want to raid it first’’.

The monitor in front of them switches from the news to a map of Japan before zooming into a camera feed, a lab appears on the screen, large and fifteen stories.

Skye practically vibrates in excitement beside him, trusting Nat’s intel more than anything that this bullshit with Alison may finally be coming to an end today.

‘’She’s been working with a man named Samuel Lee, pouring millions of dollars into a project he’s been trying to get off the ground for a decade’’.

Nat then goes into detail who he is, what the project could be, and how Alison fits into all of this.

‘’Rosalind Price was also in contact with him briefly five years ago, we’re assuming that’s one of the reasons why Alison is working with him now’’.

Quake sighs, ‘’god that bitch is still a pain in my ass even a year later’’.

‘’She’s dead Skye’’.

James comments, never one to speak ill of the dead.

‘’Oh sorry, that dead bitch Rosalind Price is still a pain in my ass a year later’’.

Grinning Natasha replies, ‘’Tony is doing around the clock surveillance and both Alison and Samuel are there right now, we’re ready to go when you are’’.

Skye taps out a random rhythm on Grant’s thigh, ‘’question her first or just go straight to murder?’’

‘’Murder’’.

Bucky answers sending her a wink as Ward huffs, ‘’don’t encourage her’’.

‘’Relax Turbo I’m not going to kill her, I don’t think. We’ll see how I feel once we get there’’.

While Price hasn’t attacked them she is threatening to do so, and both Skye and Ward would like to apprehend her before she can strike.

‘’Let me change and we’ll go’’.

Grant looks over at Skye and just has this feeling that things are going to go terribly wrong.

‘’Your anxiety is giving me anxiety’’.

Skye tells him when they’re in the air, Nat and Bucky in the cockpit while they’re strapped into hard metal seats.

Grant thought he was doing a decent job hiding his emotions, but Skye has known him for a decade and can’t be fooled.

‘’Sorry’’.

He takes a deep breath and calms further when Skye laces her fingers with his, ‘’there’s nothing to worry about, Alison isn’t some crazy Inhuman dead set on revenge or the Director of Hydra that wants my head on her desk’’.

‘’That doesn’t make me feel better’’.

‘’We’ve faced worse, Alison is nothing compared to everyone else who’s tried to destroy us’’.

She has a point but the restlessness in his chest amplifies instead of disappearing.

‘’Do I need to remind you that all of our enemies are rotting in the ground? I mean besides your brother’’.

‘’Still wondering if that was the right call’’.

Skye’s cool hand cups his face and he turns to look at her, ‘’Alison isn’t going to hurt you or me or anyone else, this ends today. Then we can go home and celebrate’’.

She kisses him slowly and as his hand trails a path down her side, he’s reminded just how much he loves her.

And how he can’t bear to lose her again.

‘’How was she when I was gone?’’

Ward asks Nat when they’re in position in front of Samuel Lee’s lab, they’ll go in first while Skye takes the back entrance.

The Black Widow also stayed with Tony over the weekend and Ward is grateful, he hates leaving Skye alone even if she says it’s alright.

Natasha puts a hand on the gun at her hip, ‘’fine, not building any pillow forts in the shape of your muscles’’.

She says it with humor but there’s concern, he’s not the only one who hates the idea of Skye being alone anywhere.

‘’I had to sleep with her all weekend but I would have done that anyway regardless’’.

Waiting on the perfect signal to go ahead with this raid Ward shifts on his feet, ‘’do you think I’m being selfish?’’

This is not the first time they’ve had this conversation and she gives him the same answer she did weeks ago.

‘’Of course I don’t, Ward you weren’t trained to sit on your ass all day, as long as you don’t go out of town for months at a time and don’t die, Skye will be fine’’.

She glances at him and sees the apprehension in his eyes.

‘’Something else bothering you?’’

Ward inhales deeply, ‘’just ghosts of the past is all’’.

Bucky who has been silent this entire time pats Grant’s shoulder in both sympathy and understanding, ‘’I might have put a bullet in my brain to quiet the ghosts if not for Natasha’’.

The Black Widow simply squeezes his hand as Skye gives the all clear.

Dispatching an enemy is as simple as breathing for Ward, he’s done so for more than half his life, the dodging blows and breaking bones is easy. Getting into the zone is not something he needs to prepare for, fighting and surviving is like slipping on a coat, it doesn’t require any thinking on his part. Alison Price has hired even more personal security and bodyguards since they saw her weeks ago, not to mention the Hydra agents she now has working for her.

Ward finishes off the people in his way before turning down a hallway, Nat and Bucky already on the second floor, and is met with a twenty man team focused on him. They’re young trigger happy fools who have no idea exactly who they’re up against, by the time Kebo (who was asleep the entire ride over) walks down the hall, bodies and blood liter the floor. Grant wipes the scarlet from his mouth and presses on while Skye is five floors above him breaking everything.

Between Ward, Quake, the Winter Solider and the Black Widow, they clear out fifteen floors pretty quickly, Alison and Samuel are bound to know they’re here by now. Lincoln, Yo-Yo, Caroline and Mack are stationed around every possible exit so they can’t escape unnoticed. At the very top floor there is only one room with French doors and a keyless lock Ward, Bucky and Nat stare at it while Skye is somewhere on the roof doing god knows what.

‘’Remind me again why we hate Alison Price?’’

Bucky asks as Nat bends slightly to study the lock mechanism, ‘’because she’s trying to kill Skye, who killed her mother’’.

‘’Didn’t Rosalind try to end the world?’’

‘’Yes’’.

James gives her a look of confusion and she lovingly pats his face, ‘’revenge over something so silly hardly ever makes sense’’.

Ward knows they aren’t going to be able to get through that door without Stark or Skye, so he’s wondering if physically breaking it down would be an option, clearly something important is behind them.

‘’She’s also pissed she can’t fuck Ward’’.

Kebo speaks up and chuckles at the way Grant sputters, ‘’she is not’’.

‘’Yeah okay, and your wife isn’t the strongest person in the room’’.

Speaking of, he’s about to ask in his com unit where she is, when heavy footsteps sound from out in the hall.

‘’God how many Hydra agents could she have possibly employed?’’

Ward holds up his gun, ‘’don’t jinx it’’.

Men in black pour into the room armed to the teeth, Grant glares at Kebo who responds, ‘’my bad’’.

Before anyone can fire a shot or move a muscle the ceiling above them suddenly cracks and falls in an explosion of dry wall and cement.

Skye lands perfectly as ceiling tiles fall around her, unharmed she straightens and holds out a hand, every person who aimed to kill falls victim to her powers.

‘’Dramatic as always Quake’’.

Ignoring the groans of pain around them Skye makes sure Nat and Ward are okay before nodding to the door, ‘’were you all just going to stand here staring at it or?’’

‘’We were waiting on you, smartass’’.

Skye wrinkles her nose at Romanoff, ‘’you’ve been spending too much time with Tony’’.

He checks her over for injuries and is relieved when he finds none, Skye runs her hands up his chest in a silent question if he’s alright.

When he nods she kisses him quickly, and using one hand blows open the doors effortlessly, no one expects to find what’s waiting for them.

Grant has seen many versions of death, some peaceful, some violent, some just downright cruel. Actions born out of hatred and desperation, passion and defiance, he’s seen it all. So the blood on the marble floor doesn’t cause his stomach to turn, neither does the butcher knife in the center of the room. The body a few feet away from a giant pine desk though, that gives him pause. Only because it’s a stranger, not Ali or someone else he knows, Nat after a second identifies the person as Samuel Lee.

Keeping a hold on Skye Ward looks around for who could have done this, when quiet sobbing suddenly sounds. Behind the office chair curled up in the fetal position is Alison Price, covered in blood. Sympathy tugs at him just a little, he understands all too well what it’s like to not understand something you’ve just done, to not recognize yourself any longer, when the skin you wear suddenly betrays you in waves of red.

While Nat and Bucky inspect the rest of the room, Ward crouches down in front of Ali, she’s only wearing an oversized shirt, her feet bare. She’s shaking something awful and her terrified gaze meets his eyes, she backs up quickly and hits a wall. Ward relaxes his body and schools his expression into something peaceful, showing that he means no harm. The last thing you want to do to someone who is in shock is spook them.

‘’Alison?’’

She stares up at him with eyes full of panic, ‘’I didn’t, I didn’t mean to hurt him’’.

Judging by the warm blood at their feet and Lee’s body, this happened fairly recently.

Grant keeps his tone calm, ‘’I know you didn’t, it’s okay’’.

‘’He just, he wasn’t listening and went back on our deal. I couldn’t let him, I needed him’’.

‘’What deal?’’

Skye asks joining his side, Alison flinches at her presence.

‘’I didn’t want this to happen. Is Samuel dead?’’

‘’Let’s not worry about that right now. Are you hurt? Can you stand?’’

Grant doesn’t miss the look on Skye’s face at the gentleness of his tone.

Yelling and throwing punches which is exactly what Skye would do, isn’t going to get them anywhere in this situation.

‘’There was so much blood and the noises, god, he, he made the most terrible noises’’.

Alison takes Ward’s offered hands and starts crying as he helps her up.

He nods to Bucky and Nat to take her outside but before he passes her to Romanoff, Ali clutches his shirt staining it red.

‘’I never wanted any of this to happen’’.

Skye is about two seconds away from ripping him out of her clutches, not having sympathy of any kind.

‘’I just wanted you to love me’’.

Grant’s stomach falls because it sounds as if she’s blaming what happened here on him, but he can’t be sure.

That’s all Skye hears however and she pulls Price away, nails digging into her arm.

‘’If I were you I’d shut my mouth before you join your friend on the floor’’.

‘’Skye’’.

Ward’s scolding tone has her nearly tossing Alison to Nat, who shoots them both warning glare before following Bucky out of the room.

‘’Stop looking at me like that’’.

He trails after her as they walk around, the room large and freezing cold.

‘’Are you really pissed off that I was being nice to her? The poor girl just killed someone and she’s in shock’’.

‘’Yeah emphasis on the killing part, how do you know she wasn’t acting and you just played into her twisted advances?’’

‘’Because she’s not a spy, she’s not like us Skye that was a genuine reaction’’.

‘’How do you know?’’

‘’Because I know Alison, I’d be able to tell if she was lying, you can’t fake something like that’’.

He doesn’t add why or how since they both know, and the last thing he wants to bring up is his stunt with the ATCU a while back.

Skye shakes her head as they reach a set of misted glass doors, ‘’you haven’t been around your girlfriend in a year, maybe she changed’’.

Flexing her fingers the doors shatter in a thousand pieces as he replies, ‘’I’m not worried about it’’.

‘’Are you worried about this?’’

They both stand before a large machine similar to the one Iron Man designed before Thanos destroyed it.

Empty desks with blank computer screens surround the machine, one lone occupant rests beside it, his back to the couple.

‘’Hundred bucks says it was designed to kill me’’.

Ward steps over broken glass, ‘’that’s not funny’’.

But he keeps a hand on her back just in case.

When Grant starts to recognize the slope of the set of shoulders in front of them, he pulls Skye behind him, who slaps his back in annoyance.

Robin, an Inhuman neither of them has seen in years, stands and faces Ward.

‘’Hey Skye’’.

Robin’s powers are pretty straightforward, he can touch you and send you to any alternate universe he wants, Christian once used him in an attempt to get rid of Skye.

No one has heard of the Inhuman since, until now.

‘’Working with the enemy again Robin? Nice, asshole. What the hell did I ever to do you?’’

When the other Inhuman spreads out his hands Ward keeps a firm hold on his gun.

‘’It’s simple really, you’re the most powerful person on the planet and you shouldn’t exist’’.

Skye would never kill one of her own unless they hurt someone she loves, since Robin hasn’t done that yet Quake won’t make a move, so he’s going to have to do it instead.

‘’Don’t even think about it’’.

Grant warns, watching Robin’s every move as he takes a step towards them.

The machine begins to rumble and Robin glances back at it, ‘’Alison Price is smarter than Senator Christian Ward was, you two were trapped the moment you stepped in here and you didn’t even know it’’.

He’s about two seconds away from pulling the trigger, ignoring Skye hissing behind him to put the gun down. That uneasy feeling Ward had when they stepped on the quinjet returns tenfold, keeping Skye behind him he’s got a finger on the trigger when Robin suddenly smiles and makes a leap for them. The shot goes off and Skye yells, but Robin has disappeared from view, the bullet hitting nothing but wall. Before Skye can yell at him, everything begins to spin.

The air in the room vanishes and Ward glances back to hold onto Skye, who is slowly starting to vanish before his eyes. Panic sets in before he realizes what’s happening, but by then it’s too late. Robin somehow used his powers without touching them, and they have no control over what happens next. Light grows dark, his skin burns then cools, he feels Skye’s hand in his own before it’s ripped away, feels her lips against his, and then she’s gone. 

His last thought before the world falls away in a bright flash, _‘’Skye I love you, I’ll find you’’._

The room they were just in explodes in a flurry of blue and yellow light, when the smoke clears both Skye and Ward are gone.

*

An hour later Tony Stark walks into the Playground half out of his mind, worry and panic deeply rooted in his chest it’s hard to breathe. Natasha Romanoff, who he’s only seen cry twice in the near twenty years they’ve known each other, called him in hysterics sixty two minutes ago. Skye is missing apparently and so is Ward, no trace, no idea where they went. The only ones who know are Alison Price who is passed out in an interrogation room, and Robin, who vanished.

The blast proof doors slide open and Tony takes a deep breath as everyone else’s anxiety hits him, every Shield agent, every Inhuman and Avenger are all feeling the effects of the situation. All Tony has ever wanted to do was protect his daughter from any more pain than she already experienced at eighteen years old, and he fails time and time again. The Playground is abuzz with frenzied activity, people yell, some cry, some run and type away furiously on laptops and tablets.

His own worry is about to come out in the form of rushed panic, pulling out his phone to call Nat he presses a button and she appears suddenly. In a flurry of bright blonde hair and leather, he takes one look at her face and nearly starts crying too. Natasha pulls him into a hug as she starts shaking, a rare reaction from the Black Widow he’s witnessed. Holding onto her he asks quietly if there are any leads, if Alison gave them anything but all Nat does is shake her head and repeat that Skye is gone.

They move to Skye’s office where Coulson, Lincoln, Fitzsimmons and Kebo are sprawled across the couches and armchairs. Kebo is the only one standing up, pacing actually, flask is one hand as he takes deep measured breaths to calm himself. They all attempt to put in motion a plan to get answers, to have Dr. Strange track Skye and Ward down, and soon their worry lessens bit by bit. Though Tony has a feeling if Steve Rogers were here, everyone would be relatively calm.

What they don’t know however, is the sinister plan Alison Price and Robin cooked up, the one Samuel Lee decided not to be a part of any longer and they killed him for it. The machine Lee designed along with Robin’s powers has one purpose, whoever is sent through their entire timelines are reset to whenever Robin wants. So to make Skye and ultimately Ward suffer, he sent them back to an alternate timeline twelve years ago with no memory of each other.

Because killing them just wouldn’t be enough, living without one another is the ultimate revenge. As long as Alison plays her part, Skye and Ward will never be together again, and since they can’t remember one another, they have no idea that their lives have been wiped clean. Spending your entire life without your soulmate, that’s a punishment no one deserves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter seems rushed and chaotic it's because I rewrote it eleven times and wanted to finish it already, it was giving me too much anxiety.
> 
> Also if anyone is confused, Alison's machine coupled with Robin's powers sent Skye and Ward to an alternate dimension twelve years back, resetting the Avengers AU timeline, basically before Skye and Ward ever met. So they have no memories of each other, and are in the past so to speak.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!


	5. Baby We Were Found but Now We're Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward wake up in an alternate reality that they think is real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you ever write something and think, ''this really just came out of my brain?'' Because that was me with this chapter, I'm so proud of it and I hope you guys love it as much as I do.
> 
> Also if anyone is confused: Skye and Ward were sent back twelve years into their past, like an alternate timeline before they ever met. So what you are about to read is their lives before they ever met, before Shield fell and Hydra came out of the shadows. Skye and Ward have no memories of each other at all.
> 
> Thank you for reading and feel free to leave a comment!

There’s a town called Ushuala in Argentina, South America, nicknamed the End of the World, people also refer to it as the Loneliest City in the World. Skye is pretty sure when you Google it you’ll find her picture next to it in reference, just ignore the boat tours and penguins. Waking up this morning it’s the only thing on her mind, the snowcapped mountains and freezing sea drift in and out of her brain as she rises out of bed.

When she’s showering and brushing her teeth, when she starts a fresh pot of coffee, Ushuala demands her attention. Standing by the fridge Skye observes her apartment as the microwave revolves her breakfast, pizza from last night. One bedroom and bathroom, a living area and kitchen, coupled with two glass patio doors that have been shattered and repaired too many times to count. The apartment though it wasn’t the intention, feels like a prison.

Like she’s trapped inside these four walls and only let out whenever someone needs something, she might as well be a wild animal some moron attempts to house break. Stay for the unconditional love but there’s always a chance you’ll be mauled to death in your sleep. The clock above the messy white stove reads five fifteen a.m. she debates going back to bed or starting her usual morning routine. Checking her phone which has always been a lifeline, no new messages, back to bed it is.

After downing the slice of rubbery pepperoni pizza, Skye covers herself with the thick white comforter and fuzzy fur blankets tangled together on the mattress. Pulls out her laptop and streams the latest episode of _Game of Thrones,_ if she wrote the show Daenerys Targaryen would have been Queen from the start. She’s thirty minutes in watching the Mother of Dragons live up to her name, when her phone buzzes loudly.

Only a handful of people have her personal number and since the code she ran last night isn’t done yet, it’s bound to be a message from Natasha Romanoff. Even after spending the last seven years being trained by the Black Widow, becoming her very best friend, Skye still finds it odd this is her life. There was a time she couldn’t look past nineteen, now in her twenties it’s a miracle she lived through everything the universe tortured her with.

She’s no longer that wide eyed eighteen year old who won the laptop currently resting on her knees in a bet, the girl who thought joining the Rising Tide would get her the answers she’d been searching for since she was ten. But that set her on a course full of her wrists strapped to a table, her screams that no one heard, and the kind of hopelessness she still hasn’t recovered from. Eighteen years old was a nightmare that comes back to haunt her often.

Skye used to be light and smooth, now it’s as if every single piece of her is sharp and jagged, get too close and you’ll bleed. Seven years ago she opened a file in her apartment in LA with thinking it would lead her to her birth parents, it’s something she’d been chasing her entire life. But it led her to a tragedy instead, filled with death, pain and violence. Skye was locked in a lab by a team of psychopaths and subjected to weeks of experiments for reasons she still hasn’t found.

She was rescued eventually and all she got for her troubles was PTSD, anxiety, a large dose of depression, panic attacks, insomnia, and a set of powers. The kind of power that men love to exploit if given the chance, the kind that makes her the most dangerous individual to walk the earth. Those assholes in lab coats forced her to become what the US government calls ‘Gifted’ though she prefers the term Inhuman. 

Her DNA isn’t alien or anything, just better, stronger than the average human walking down the street. Skye remembers the day fondly, her body strapped to an ice cold examination table when Daniel Whitehall came into her torture chamber with a steel colored suitcase. He raked her from head to toe, opened the case to reveal a blue colored crystal that seemed to sing to her at the time, she could feel the warm humming in her veins, and said, _‘’I am going to make you perfect’’._

After smashing the crystal to the ground everyone fled and Skye remembers watching dark gray smoke fill the air choking her, this pressure tightening her bones until it felt as if they’d snap. The process is called Terrigenesis, transforming a human into a ‘Gifted’ individual, though they have to have Inhuman DNA to survive the change. The entire transformation still causes her to wake up most nights covered in sweat, begging to make the suffocating pain stop.

Afterwards Daniel Whitehall, who ended up being the one who murdered her parents because of Skye’s mother’s bloodline, and slaughtered everyone she knew so no one would look into her disappearance, he intended to use her as his own personal weapon. As if she’d ever work for the man who killed her family, friends and boyfriend. Skye’s powers manifest through her hands, she can bring down buildings, destroy entire cities, possibly even planets though it hasn’t been tested yet.

If you want a more accurate description like the government agency she occasionally works for has on file; Skye can cause concussive blasts, disintegration, vibration manipulation and absorption. She’s also a master hacker which is one of the reasons she was recruited in the first place, that and the Black Widow wanted her to stop killing people with her bare hands and start saving them instead. It wasn’t intentionally, Skye never wanted to hurt anyone.

After Natasha saved her from Whitehall Skye couldn’t control herself, everywhere she went people died, there was a time she learned to direct the quakes inward but it left her with fractured bones, bruises on her arms and the will to no longer live, though that thought came and went daily ever since she was kidnapped. Years passed and as soon as Skye got a handle on herself Natasha introduced her to an agency called Shield, run by Nick Fury who in Skye’s opinion, needs a hobby, he’s too tightly wound.

The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division is full of dicks in suits who have sticks so far up their assholes they can’t think straight, there are a few rare agents who aren’t brainless robots like Nat, Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter, maybe Brock Rumlow on a good day. Needless to say she’s not a fan and only hangs around because Nat is loyal to the organization and to Fury, Skye works with them because the Black Widow believes they’ll make her a better person.

Skye thinks it’s bullshit but she gets to punch people in the face for a living which is good therapy, so she can’t complain. Besides, running missions full of bullets and adrenaline is a great way to burn off steam and exhaust all the restless energy inside of her, she’ll never admit this but taking out bad guys really has helped, given her some sense of purpose instead of roaming around aimlessly feeling sorry for herself.

Pausing the episode Skye looks at the screen of her phone and reads the message from Nat, telling her to come to the Triskelion in half an hour. It’s Shield HQ where the dicks in suits update their Supervising Officers or Nick Fury on missions, where they conduct missions to ‘’save the world’’ and give psych evaluations on the regular, mostly for Skye. Some people are apparently afraid she’s going to go postal one day and rip the organization apart, it’s an appealing idea.

The only reason she hasn’t done it is because Natasha would be pissed and Captain America wouldn’t speak to her for a couple days. The rest of the Avengers would be fine with it, Tony her father figure since she was twenty, has never been particularly fond of Shield, neither has Bruce Banner or Thor. Hawkeye would only have something to say because he’s also an employee, he’d forgive her eventually, probably.

The Avengers are what has kept Skye alive for the past five years, Natasha introduced them a couple years after the lab incident and they’ve been a family ever since. Skye never had that before, a group of people who care if she lives or dies, someone to spend birthdays and Christmases with, someone to call if she’s sad or happy, people who actually listen and care about what she has to say. As a kid she bounced around from foster home to foster home never understanding why her parents gave her up.

Turns out it was a Shield agent who saved baby her from Daniel Whitehall’s clutches and dropped her off at an adoption agency run by the Catholic Church, Skye was more or less raised by nuns because every family she was ever sent to always gave her back, said she wasn’t a good fit. Which explains her abandonment and trust issues, never being able to get close to someone in fear of them rejecting her, something she’s still working through with the Avengers.

There’s also another reason why Skye refuses to get close to anyone, why she can’t be in a committed relationship with someone, because the doctors who worked for Daniel Whitehall brainwashed her into believing a very cruel lie. One she still can’t shake, one that sinks its teeth into her skin every morning, it’s why she kicks men out of her bed and laughs when they ask for more than one night between her sheets.

_‘’Wherever she goes, death follows’’._

No matter how many times Natasha tries to convince her otherwise, Skye still holds the words close to her chest every day. Because the statement is true enough, the people she ends up loving have a tendency to die on her. She wakes up in fear thinking today will be the day she gets a call that Nat is dead, or Tony or Thor, and she’ll be to blame for it. It’s her fault, all of it, the universe should have killed her seven years ago when she begged it to.

Closing her laptop Skye pulls on a pair of dark jeans and one of Tony’s _Black Sabbath_ shirts, plucks her leather jacket from the floor and straps on a pair of combat boots. Her long brown hair falls in waves to the middle of her back after she runs a brush through it. Grabbing her phone and car keys she leaves the Penthouse Suite courtesy of Tony Stark, and heads out. Nerves light up her stomach on the way into the Triskelion, the unknown pulling at her cheeks, today may not turn out to be a good one.

Here's the thing about reputations, once you get one it’s nearly impossible to make someone perceive you as anything other than what they’ve heard. Skye didn’t make the best entrance into Shield when Nat introduced her, on account of finding out Nick Fury ordered Romanoff to kill her once he learned how powerful she was. The Black Widow made a different call and Skye is pretty sure Fury has regretted it ever since.

The second she steps through the doors of the Triskelion the atmosphere changes, judgmental eyes rake her frame, men in suits think know every single monster inside her brain and hate her for it, lie to themselves that they’re stronger than her. Women with guns strapped to their hips assume she’s nothing but a walking weapon who wants to kill everything in her path. It’s one of the reasons she doesn’t work well with others, and because people are afraid of her and it shows.

Even though she fought in the Battle of New York they don’t see a woman who saved lives, all they see is someone who murdered people in her twenties, who can’t stand the smell of lemons without having a panic attack, who flies off the handle the second the slightest thing goes wrong. All they notice is the bad, not the trauma, not the fear she lives with every day, not the way her hands shake or that she chugs energy drinks daily to stay awake because nightmares kept her up.

They don’t see someone who lost everything, who’s future was stolen away by an evil man with the cruelest of intentions, they don’t know that she hates the person staring back in the mirror whenever she passes the glass. But people think what they want to and don’t look deeper, mental health isn’t important unless it affects them personally. Skye stops by one of the vending machines near the bathrooms for an energy drink, spots Phil Coulson and Melinda May huddled together by a side door.

Skye is wondering when they’re going to bone when Coulson notices her stare and nods in acknowledgement, May doesn’t even turn around, which doesn’t bother Skye, the Calvary rubs her the wrong way. Coulson however is one of Fury’s favorite agents, he literally moved heaven and earth to keep Phillip alive after New York, when Loki stabbed him. Skye didn’t really care if he lived or not but his death upset the rest of the Avengers for some reason, so she was relieved when Fury saved him.

After bending down to retrieve the lime-flavored drink Skye turns to go and immediately crashes into something hard. Normally she’s excellent at sensing when a body is near thanks to Nat’s training and her powers, but this one came out of nowhere. Large hands on her shoulders so she doesn’t fall, Skye looks up to find a pair of dark brown eyes swimming with concern. She’s pretty sure the universe took it’s time creating the beautiful man in front of her, his fingers are warm against her jacket.

He apologizes quickly before asking if she’s alright and when she assures him everything is fine, his smile literally lights up the entire room. Like he’s powered by the sun, Skye finds herself grinning back, an automatic response. He’s tall and perfectly handsome, the kindest soul she’s ever met, Antoine Triplett is one of the best people she knows, they’ve been friends for a few years now. He’s never been afraid of her or thought of her as a monster.

When they first met they ended up sleeping together but decided to remain friends, mostly because Skye’s issues and Trip wasn’t looking for anything serious. He grabs his own energy drink and gives her a friendly once over.

‘’You get any sleep last night?’’

Skye pops open the lime-flavored caffeine, ‘’nope I stayed up binging Game of Thrones’’.

It’s a half truth and of course he catches it, damned Specialist skills. Skye detests Shield’s golden agents, they’re too observant for their own good.

He lets it go though, ‘’what episode are you on?’’

‘’When Dany threatens everyone with fire and blood’’.

They walk upstairs and Trip comments, ‘’you know you and the Mother of Dragons are similar in a lot of ways’’.

‘’Tony said the same thing, Clint wrote this whole paragraph about it in a group text the other night’’.

‘’Girl the life you have, wish I was friends with the Avengers’’.

‘’No you don’t. they’re a bunch of assholes with hero complexes’’.

He laughs like she’s kidding but Skye is serious, the only pure one out of the bunch may be Bruce.

‘’You headed up to see Fury?’’

‘’Unfortunately’’.

‘’Find me later? We can get a drink tonight’’.

‘’Sure’’.

‘’Have fun’’.

‘’Oh bite me’’.

The last thing she sees is his smile before he disappears around the corner.

Fury’s office resides on the top floor, like the self-centered prick he is no one is allowed in or out without an access code or a full body scan. Skye detests the entire process mainly because it’s futile for someone like her, if she really wanted to kill the Director of Shield his security protocols wouldn’t stop her. The freshly waxed floors and six agents greet her with the elevator doors open, she was alone on the ride up because no one wanted to be trapped in a small confined space with her.

It used to bother her but she’s long past caring, what’s that saying again, you lie to yourself enough you start to actually believe it? Sometimes it feels like she’s destined to spend her entire life alone, like the universe spit her out into this world and decided she was better off a lone wolf. Too afraid to love anyone she sleeps alone, wakes up alone, even if she has a man underneath her she still feels isolated, adrift and lost.

The person responsible for keeping her alive steps out of Fury’s office and smiles, Skye is pretty sure if you pried open her head and dug out her brain, Natasha’s smile would be listed under the things that have kept her sane. Long red hair and a leather jacket the Black Widow always oozes cool confidence, like an unrelenting storm that no one can contain. Skye has been trying to achieve that level of prowess for years now, but where Nat is kind and merciful, Skye is dark edges and pain.

‘’Morning sunshine’’.

‘’It was until you brought Fury into my day’’.

Romanoff smirks and takes a sip of her energy drink before giving it back, ‘’you promised to be nice’’.

‘’I’m never nice, and no one should ever take my promises seriously’’.

‘’I do’’.

Because she never breaks them where Nat is concerned, Skye would sooner cut out her tongue than disappoint her best friend and mentor.

‘’You’re the rare exception’’.

‘’Not the only?’’

Nat steps back while the retinal scan moves in front of Skye’s face who responds, ‘’Tony has just as much parental rights as you do’’.

‘’He’d cry if he heard you say that’’.

They share a smile and head into the office, the glass room always makes Skye feel antsy, like she’s a goldfish trapped in an endless bowl.

Fury himself sits at his desk and rises when they walk in, ‘’Romanoff, Quake’’.

Iron Man gave her a codename and unfortunately Shield picked up on it, she’s never living it down.

‘’Good morning Nicholas’’.

Needless to say, Quake and the Director do not get along.

‘’Let’s get this over with quickly so you can be on your way’’.

Skye sits down in a chair across from his desk and puts her feet up, ‘’cut to the chase, who do you want me to kill?’’

Nat stands beside her in silence, arms behind her back while Nick pulls up the target they need her to dispose of.

‘’Fred Johnson, he’s been threatening us with another alien attack and our contact confirmed this morning that he’s acquired a weapon of mass destruction’’.

‘’So why didn’t your contact just kill him this morning?’’

‘’Because that wasn’t his job’’.

‘’Sounds like a shitty Shield agent to me, but why kill the guy? Don’t you want to question him first to find out where he got this alleged weapon?’’

‘’Why don’t you ask when you confront him?’’

‘’Why don’t you when I bring him in alive?’’

Skye doesn’t really care either way, she just likes to ruffle Fury’s feathers.

Right on cue he gives Romanoff a look, ‘’are you going to do this or not? I need to know if I should find someone else’’.

Taking a final sip from her drink before tossing the can in the trash she replies, ‘’don’t get your briefs in a twist obviously I’m in. Am I going solo?’’

He snorts, ‘’like I’d ever trust you alone on a mission. Agent Rumlow will accompany you’’.

‘’Gross”.

Brock Rumlow is another closed off Specialist who is married to this job.

‘’Be nice to him’’.

‘’Don’t tell me what to do’’.

‘’Last time the two of you worked together he claimed you were a danger to yourself and to others’’.

She raises an eyebrow, ‘’so why are you sending me for this mission? Why is Agent Shithead babysitting me again?’’

There’s a moment of silence and Skye has her answer, it’s the same every time.

Because they need her, they need her to be the monster Daniel Whitehall created but instead of killing people for evil, she’s doing it in the name of ‘’good’’.

She really should have stayed in bed today.

Nat is handing her a gun as they stand outside in the docking area waiting for Rumlow and a quinjet.

‘’You don’t have to do this you know’’.

Their fingers brush as Skye takes the gun, ‘’yes I do’’.

Quake has sins to atone for, Shield gives her the opportunity to do so and Natasha understands that better than anyone.

Both women spot Rumlow headed towards them, ‘’why can’t you come instead?’’

‘’Fury has me working on something else with Stark’’.

‘’Boo. Tell Dad I said hi’’.

‘’He’ll be in a mood since you’re not with me, that should help. Be safe’’.

Nat squeezes her hand before walking away, just as the other Shield agent approaches her.

‘’Morning Princess’’.

‘’Don’t talk to me’’.

Brock Rumlow is her type on paper, dark hair and scruff on his face, a danger complex but no childhood trauma that he keeps bottled up which for some reason turns her off, he’s too normal.

‘’You’re in a good mood as always’’.

‘’What did I say about the talking?’’

Thankfully he gets the memo the entire ride to their target’s house.

Fred Johnson lives in a gated community in Beverly Hills, California, where the houses are worth millions and are filled with marble floors and pure gold chandeliers. Where pools have waterfalls that bleed into the ocean, and private chefs and nannies to cater to their every whim, it makes her sick. Tony Stark is one of the richest men in the world but he’s humble about it, though before she knew him he was a major dick apparently.

Fred’s house sits near a rolling green hill, there’s a golf course and a vineyard, two foreign sports cars in the driveway and a yacht in the garage. Skye breaks in through the back door and ignores Rumlow in her ear, the com giving her a headache already. Fred’s kitchen is massive, shiny countertops and a large stainless steel fridge, polished floors and three cooks at the spotless stove. Not in the mood to cause a mess she sneaks past them and heads to Fred’s office where Rumlow assures he is.

Granite statues of various gods and goddesses line every hall and entry way, an actual fountain is inside a sitting room with a piano, scoffing at the lifestyle of the wealthy Quake finally makes it to the office, flicks the lock on the wooden doors lined with diamonds. Fred jumps up when she enters a gun in his hand, his blue eyes are wide with panic and his hands are shaking. She doesn’t pay attention to the bookshelves behind his desk or the twenty thousand dollar laptop beside his elbow.

‘’Hey handsome’’.

‘’Who the hell are you?’’

‘’The woman who’s going to kill you’’.

He fires the gun and Skye raises a hand, the bullet is suspended in the air for a moment before it’s sent backwards into one of the books, the gun in Fred’s hand shakes before falling apart, the pieces clatter at his feet.

Fear immediately has his muscles tensing, ‘’what are you?’’

‘’A bitch with power’’.

He tries to run but Skye grabs him and slams his body into a wall, ‘’Shield says hello’’.

His neck is broken before he can form a response.

Sneaking out is easy, Skye climbs out the window and heads back to the jet, since she hacked into Fred’s security cameras beforehand no one has any idea she was there at all. She also snatched his laptop and numerous cell phone to give to Fury, hopefully this keeps him off her back for the next few days. When she boards the jet Rumlow appraises her with dark eyes, ‘’nice work Quake’’. Ah yes, praise for murder, it’s the Shield way.

They’re back at the Triskelion after Skye briefed Nick on what happened, Rumlow just finished up the paperwork because she refused to do it. She called Nat and told her the target had been eliminated, it’s only one in the afternoon and Skye has the rest of the afternoon free. Her plans are day drinking, watching TV and squeezing a nap in. Or it was until Rumlow’s fingers run down her arm when they’re in the elevator, an all too familiar look in his eye.

‘’Your place or mine?’ Her journey at trying to feel anything with anyone has included Rumlow a time or two, so far he’s been decent in an attempt to shut off her brain, quiet the voices and silent the screams. It’s a repetitive cycle she’s been in for the last seven years with no end in sight, but she keeps trying anyway. Deciding on her apartment she blinds the cameras in the hall so Tony can’t see, sometimes he likes to check on her.

They walk through her door and Rumlow pins her to it, his rough facial hair digging into her skin, hands hot as they take off her shirt. Closing her eyes she loses herself in the feel of his teeth on her neck, his thumbs drifting up her thighs, the weight of his body atop her own when they fall onto her bed. It’s over far too soon and his sweaty body against her skin makes every bad feeling rise up inside her chest again, the high of sex always leaves sooner than she would like.

The monsters in her head snap their teeth as she catches her breath, the demons she wrestles with at night make an earlier appearance and claw at her bones. Rumlow rubs circles into her spine his palm feeling like sandpaper as he eventually falls asleep. Normally she’d kick him out but the lonely part of her that longs to wake up next to someone, lets him stay. She wakes up sometime later to warm breath in her ear, but instead of fuzzy butterflies in her belly she just feels sick.

No matter how many bodies rest between her hips there’s still darkness inside that won’t end, beasts that choke and make her bleed internally every night. It feels like it’ll never end.

The sun has long set, her apartment cloaked in darkness, Skye pulls on her underwear and shirt from the floor, heads into the kitchen to grab a snack. She’s sitting on the counter eating Coco Puffs when Rumlow wakes and silently dresses. Skye can feel his heartbeat in her palms, steady and true, the fact that she could stop it right this second if she wanted to, that power isn’t lost on her. She’s not a weapon for Whitehall, she’s a weapon for Shield, but no one talks about it.

He leaves without a word, just a nod as he walks out, she is alone for all of three minutes before the front door swings open again and Tony Stark walks through. Two coffees in hand as she watches him kick the door closed with his foot, ‘’I didn’t need your help, thanks’’. She continues eating as he sets a steaming beverage beside her knee, after that he checks the contents of her fridge to make sure she’s not starving herself again.

Satisfied she’s eating he leans against the counter across from her, ‘’is that my shirt?’’

‘’You can’t prove anything’’.

‘’So are we not going to talk about how Agent Douchebag just left your apartment?’’

‘’Nope’’.

‘’Fine, how did today go?’’

‘’Oh you know the typical murder stuff, same shit different day’’.

He frowns into his next sip of coffee, ‘’here is your daily reminder that you don’t have to do anything Shield tells you, screw Fury and’’-

‘’This is my one shot at redemption’’.

The frown runs deeper, ‘’you don’t need redeeming Skye’’.

‘’Yes I do’’.

Stark shakes his head, ‘’nothing you did was your fault’’.

She pokes the cereal with her spoon, ‘’then who can I blame? Whitehall didn’t force me to hurt people with my powers, he wasn’t the one who had to listen to their screams’’.

‘’Your abilities are triggered by pain, everything that happened was because’’-

‘’Whitehall subjected me to weeks of torture I know I’ve heard it all before’’.

‘’I wish you’d start believing it and stop blaming yourself for things beyond your control’’.

‘’Yeah me too, how was your day?’’

‘’It’s better now’’.

Smiling Skye kicks his shin, ‘’I won’t tell the rest of the team I’m your favorite Avenger’’.

‘’They’re aware’’.

Tony spends the night on the couch and wakes her up the moment she starts screaming over a nightmare, he’s the only one that’s ever been able to pull her out of a bad dream. Her arms sting and Skye can make out scratches from her nails on her skin, they’re not deep but the blood has stained her sheets. Tony holds her trembling body on the couch until the sun rises, both tired and drained from the long night.

She brews his favorite flavor coffee as an apology in the morning and they watch old cartoons that put her in a better mood. After showering she props her laptop on her knees while Stark makes them breakfast, she pulls up a travel site for Ushuala, Argentina, and books a flight. When a plate of eggs are placed in front of her she refunds the plane ticket and slams the computer shut, scratches the ointment coated Band-Aids on her arms in irritation.

Wonders if her life is ever going to change, or if this is how the next twenty years are going to be.

*

For as long as Grant Ward can remember, pain has been the only constant in his life. Forget happy childhood memories and forehead kisses from his mother when he got sick, stress and anxiety were his only friends. His family was and still is, full of abusive monsters who never gave a damn about him, Grant is glad to be rid of them, even if he does miss his younger siblings he can never go back, and not just because he attempted to burn down the family home when he was fifteen.

The people who share his DNA have never felt like family, the four walls he grew up in never felt like home, come to think of it nothing has ever really felt like home to him. Ward has never belonged to anyone, never shared a life with anyone other than himself. His entire purpose centers around one goal, his destiny intertwined with someone else’s and if he doesn’t succeed he might as well be dead.

For years now his existence has been at the expense of his mentor and friend John Garrett, he saved Grant from prison when he was fifteen years old, gave him a reason to keep going, to matter in a life he didn’t ask for. His reality is this; he’s been living a lie for the past six years and doesn’t feel one ounce of guilt for it, there’s no shame or remorse in his bones. If he’s lying to himself his training buries it deep down and locks it up, a voice in his head that sounds like Garrett hisses loudly, _‘’that’s not a weakness is it?’’_

Because he’s doing the right thing, saving someone who rescued him from a hell, repaying the debt that was placed upon him as a young boy. An act like that is honorable in Ward’s opinion, though he doesn’t consider himself honorable anymore, too much blood that he’s spilled on kitchen floors, but he doesn’t regret the choice he made all those years ago. Joining Shield, helping John Garrett (who is dying, a fact that eats him alive every single morning) find a cure for his ailment. Saving him is worth every body that hits the ground, every lie he tells, every time he has to pretend to be someone else, he does it all with John at the forefront of his mind.

This morning he stares at the ceiling of an empty hotel room and goes through a checklist of everything he needs to do in order to get back to Shield HQ. Head to the coffee shop this morning, accidently spill hot tea on the target Garrett assigned him to, seduce her into coming back here, find out what she knows about a flash drive with government secrets on it, find it then eliminate her. He puts it all into a category with check boxes, clean and precise, everything in order and to the point.

Checking the bedside alarm that reads five a.m. Grant rises from the cold mattress and starts preparing for the events of the day. Gets a quick work out in, showers, has bland oatmeal for breakfast and all natural orange juice, reflects on the fact that even though no one else is around and no one can see him, he still sticks to his deep undercover persona. Special Agent Grant Ward is a health nut, a robotic White Knight who can turn himself into anyone in a second, and who has a permanent stick up his ass.

Grant would like to say he hates this straight version of himself, but this is the only way he can save John so he has to put up with himself. It’s easier than it should be, slipping into another person’s skin he doesn’t recognize, gluing on a mask so tight so it never cracks. Showing people someone that isn’t real, like the real Grant Ward is an empty shell and every cover he’s ever pulled on is stuffed inside him. Who is the real Grant Ward? Staring at his reflection in the mirror, the answer escapes him.

After shaving until his cheekbones are smooth, Ward dresses and grabs his leather jacket, tucks a gun into its holster at his hip. Walks down the block to the coffee shop his target routinely visits and goes inside, studies every person in the small area, each exit, window and door, the workers behind the counter. Looking for potential threats is second nature now, training burned into him so long ago. He couldn’t turn it off if he wanted to.

The target’s name is Sarah Craft and she walks in exactly when she’s supposed to. Light red hair and green eyes, she’s wearing shorts which he finds odd since it’s the middle of winter in Oregon. He watches her undetected as she orders a large black coffee and a blueberry scone, the second he decides it’s time to reel her into his trap, she’s doomed. Ward goes through the motions to get her attention and keep it, an act easier than breathing, than dreaming.

Catch her eye then drop it, smile when she looks over, pretend to stare at her legs when he thinks she’s not looking, flash her a signature smirk that always gets him exactly what he wants. In another life his politician father would be proud, manipulating someone to get what you want is exactly the kind of shit Robert Ward lives for, his older brother Christian as well. But the time for anybody in his family being proud of him has long since passed. A ship that sailed away so long ago he’ll never see it again.

Sarah slides into his web exactly as she was meant to, comes over to his table to comment on the book he’s reading, which was another selling point. He knows for a fact this same book is on her nightstand at home, she smiles when he asks if Daisy is her favorite character, he finished the novel last night because he is nothing if not thorough at his job. He listens as she rambles about the Daisy character he found annoying, and then he strikes.

‘Accidently’ knocks his cup of tea over into her lap, cue the flustered act as he rushes to get napkins and apologizes profusely. Forces blood to rush to his face to fool her into thinking he’s embarrassed, pink cheeks and shaking hands she buys it, of course. They laugh about it and it soon becomes an icebreaker just like it was meant to, she opens up about herself, because the handsome man with sharp cheekbones and chiseled jaw line couldn’t possibly be dangerous.

He doesn’t feel great about afterwards as he calls a Shield cleanup crew to get rid of the body. The drive feels heavy in his pocket as he slides it in, hands steady not shaking, and if he tells himself this is all for John that anxious energy fades away. Hours later after debriefing Maria Hill in person and Garrett over the phone, Ward hits the gym until his muscles ache and he’s drenched in sweat. John tells him not to bother going into the Triskelion so Ward has the day free to relax, not that he knows what that means.

After showering and making dinner for one in his cold and empty apartment, he considers renting a movie or going to a bar nearby to kill some time. He hates having down time, normally he’s across the world on a two month long operation, every day something different so he’s never standing still. Deciding on staying in for the night he rents season two of _Game of Thrones_ and grabs a beer, the silence something he’s used to but doesn’t enjoy.

There’s a small part of him, so dormant it’s simple to ignore, that wants something else. A different life that doesn’t include bullets and bombs, lies and foreign hands on his skin, Grant just wants someone to peel back his skin and see him for who he really is, not John Garrett’s golden boy or the emotionless robot with no feelings, he wants anyone to see through the skeletons he buries and assure him he’s not damaged beyond repair.

On the other hand he’d die for Garrett in a second, would kill anyone even Nick Fury himself if he threatened John, he’d burn down the world to save his mentor, and is prepared to do so each morning he wakes. Because that man saved him from death, made him into a man, showed him how to defend himself, how to hold up the worst kind of torture imaginable. So who is Ward to want something other than this life that John handed him? 

How selfish do these thoughts make him? He owes everything to John, and wishing for something else isn’t right, Grant hates himself for it, he sounds like an entitled prick complaining about how unfair the world is. Shaking off the doubt and reminding his brain of the mission, Ward tunes into the movie and drains a second beer. He’s opting for a third when the front door opens, normally he’d be on his feet gun in hand, but only two people have a key to his apartment.

John Garrett saunters through the door and drapes his tan leather jacket on the maroon recliner before taking a seat on the leather couch opposite of Ward. They sit in silence for a moment and Grant can’t help but be a little on edge, he never knows which version of John he’s going to get. Angry means screaming and a fist to a place easily concealed by clothes, happy means jokes, smiling and him recalling old mission stories.

Grant’s sigh of relief goes unheard as John relaxes into the couch and opens a beer, ‘’you did well today son’’.

Praise from John is hard to come by so Ward laps it up quickly, ‘’it was easy’’.

Garrett laughs, ‘’it’s always easy for you isn’t it? God I struck gold with you kid’’.

Ward can’t help but smile, his dark thoughts from earlier floating away.

‘’Your target found out about Project Centipede , turns out her dad was one of the test subjects and she wasn’t thrilled when he went missing. Thank god we don’t have to worry about that anymore’’.

Project Centipede is yet another grasp at a cure for John, Ward prays to whatever god every night it works since all the others were failures.

‘’It should be up and running in a couple months, in the meantime I have another proposition for you’’.

‘’Alright’’.

John pauses at a scene on the television, Daenerys Targaryen appears on screen, she’s Ward’s favorite character.

‘’Wish someone would kill that bitch already’’.

Ward leans back slightly, how can anyone hate Khaleesi?

‘’You’re not a fan John?’’

He wrinkles his nose, ‘’hell no, first of all there’s no way a woman would be able to handle the power of three dragons, she’s never going to be on the Iron Throne’’.

Ward really hopes the series ends differently, that John will be wrong.

‘’Anyway your next assignment is long term, little to no contact between us while it’s going on’’.

Which is not uncommon anymore since Garrett is no longer his Supervising Officer.

John pulls out a manila file and slides it across the coffee table, Ward pulls out a picture of Agent Phillip Coulson of Shield, they’ve met and worked together on numerous occasions.

Grant was happy when he found out Phil survived his wound after New York.

‘’I need you to find out how Nick Fury brought Coulson back to life, he’s the key to saving my skin kid’’.

‘’Brought him back to life?’’

There’s a piece of paper inside with John’s handwriting that reads, _‘Tahiti, it’s a magical place’._

‘’I need you to infiltrate his personal circle, make them trust you until you find out what we need’’.

His response is automatic, ‘’yes sir’’.

‘’That’s my boy’’.

They share a smile and start going over details, how to go about this when John turns serious.

‘’There’s something else by the way, though I’m trying to stop it but the orders come from high up’’.

Whatever it is John isn’t happy about it, his eyes swim with apprehension.

‘’What’s wrong?’’

‘’There’s talks of you getting a partner’’.

Grant makes a face and John sighs, ‘’trust me I’m not happy about it either’’.

Ward doesn’t work well with others, it’s why he became a Specialist in the first place.

Get in, get the job done and leave, no lingering, never having to worry about anyone else.

He’s gone solo for years now and has no desire to change it.

‘’Why would anyone want me to have a partner?’’

‘’Ask Fury, I don’t know who it is yet but as soon as I do I’ll let you know, try to talk him out of it’’.

‘’Even if you can’t it won’t affect our mission, I’ll still do exactly what you need me to’’.

John rubs his lips, ‘’you better, these two options may be our last hope’’.

Grant’s stomach sinks at the prospect of a world without Garrett, it’s unthinkable, unimaginable, it’s a universe he doesn’t want to live in.

‘’I’ll get it done John I promise’’.

He’s sealed it in blood before and he’ll do it again.

The only thing that matters is John’s survival.

Everything else is just white noise.


	6. Beautiful Stranger Here You Are In My Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission goes wrong and Skye copes the only way she knows how, and Ward learns who his new partner is going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVED writing this chapter.
> 
> A refresher: Ward is a Shield agent his entire life goal is still saving John Garrett. And Skye is a consultant for Shield like Tony Stark, only because she believes she needs to atone for her sins, and Nat is loyal to the organization.
> 
> Also if anyone needed an image in their head- Ward looks like he does in season 1, clean shaven baby face, young. Skye also takes on her season 1 look (since we went back in time technically) so long brown hair, innocent face (I miss this version of her, Daisy Johnson is an entirely different character, they aren't even the same person.)
> 
> Anyway thank you for reading, please feel free to comment good or bad! Let me know what you think, how you feel.

Here are things you are not allowed to do if you have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to Shield:

-Cry all day

-Scream about the injustice of the world in the middle of a briefing.

-Carry a gun in the field (it’s a rule Skye breaks often.)

-Completely lose all of your shit during a mission.

-Kill the target you were supposed to capture, never mind the fact that they deserved it.

-Insult the organization Fury built with his blood sweat and tears to his face.

-Be a danger to yourself and everyone around you.

-Let the trauma you endured effect you negatively in any kind of way.

Basically if you have mental health issues, Shield doesn’t want you. If you somehow manage to slip through the cracks everyone will treat you like a nutcase, as if you’re some damaged toy no one wants and longs to shove in the back of a shelf, hoping you collect dust and everyone forgets about you. That’s Skye’s opinion anyway and the only people that would back her up on it are the Avengers, who everyone is scared of anyway, Captain America excluded.

PTSD is a funny thing, it can manifest itself in ways a healthy mind would deem unimaginable. It can destroy everything about a person and then build them back up the way it wants, so you live around your fear and trauma instead of coping with it. That is all Skye has been doing for years now, dancing around her triggers and flashbacks instead of seeking help for them, somewhere in the back of her mind she wants that healing process, but then she thinks she’ll be stuck like this forever.

It’s below freezing tonight, heavy snowfall blanketing the trees and hard ground, making this meadow Skye is currently laying in look like a dark winter wonderland. She can’t feel her hands or toes which are covered by gloves and socks, her face has long since gone numb, courtesy of the ice falling and melting around her skin. Looking up at the black sky she pretends she’s somewhere else, that she’s something else entirely.

A few hours ago she messed up what was supposed to be a simple mission, seduce the target and once she exploited a weakness arrest them, it’s not the first time Skye has done this. But for some reason whenever the mark put her hands on her skin, Quake lost control. Had a violent hallucination that the soft fingers brushing the strap of her dress off, actually belonged to one of the women in the lab all those years ago. Instead of bringing Audrey Parker in for questioning, Quake killed her.

It was an accident, not that anyone cared. Both Maria Hill and Fury lectured her for over an hour about the differences between apprehending a mark and killing one, and what it means to actually follow orders instead of ignoring them. Shield is very aware of what Skye went through when she was eighteen, however instead of offering help they simply tell Natasha Romanoff that if her protégé can’t handle working for them, she doesn’t need to come back.

The Black Widow has told her many a times that she should talk to someone, that Skye doesn’t need to work for Shield in order to clean all the blood off her skin. But Quake doesn’t listen, so the carousel she strapped herself to never stops turning. After yelling at both Fury and Hill Skye left the Triskelion and went to the bar down the street but the alcohol didn’t numb her veins and make her forget what happened. So this was the next best thing, nearly freezing to death all alone at two a.m.

The sound of her breathing is the only thing that fills the air, the road a few feet away is silent and empty, it’s been over a two hours since anyone drove by. The cold distracts her mind from focusing on anything other than how to keep warm, shaking so hard her teeth chatter. The numbness in her bones is better than feeling pain, the winter scent of the trees is a welcome change from the lemons she smelled constantly in Fury’s office.

When her skin turns blue she’ll head back to her car, hypothermia is not how she wants to go out. Staring up at the stars she thinks about who she was before all this happened, how the anxiety and depression turned her into someone completely different. How the PTSD has plagued her life, that it taps into the violent side her nature, brings out the worst of her. She blames Whitehall for it, he exposed something when she eighteen and now the trauma he forced her to endure feeds off it.

In summary; PTSD is a real bitch.

Closing her eyes Skye imagines she’s somewhere free of this life, in a home of her own perhaps with a red front door where she wakes up every morning to the love of her life. It’s a pipe dream, because who would ever love someone like her? The cold burns her throat with each inhale, she can’t feel her ears, Skye is checking her heart beat on the monitor strapped to her wrist, a gift from Bruce Banner when the phone rings. Sighing she tears off a glove with her teeth and wipes the snow off, sees its Nat calling.

‘’I was asleep’’.

‘’No you weren’t’’.

Even if it’s nearing three in the morning Nat sounds as if she’s wide awake, tone controlled and cool.

‘’What are you doing?’’

Skye sets a covered hand on the ground and watches the snow react to her powers, how a tiny earthquake completely obliterates the perfect balance.

‘’Self destructing’’.

Worry bleeds into Romanoff’s voice now, ‘’where are you?’’

For Skye self-destruction could mean many things so Natasha is more than likely sending a message to Tony right now to track her phone.

‘’Did you hear what happened?’’

The Black Widow is currently out of the country and didn’t answer whenever her protégé tried calling earlier.

‘’I did, I’m sorry I wasn’t there’’.

‘’Not your fault, you can’t babysit me all the time’’.

‘’I don’t see it as babysitting and you know it’’.

Sighing Skye watches her breath fill the air and then disappear, ‘’do you think Fury was right?’’

Romanoff doesn’t need clarity, she knows exactly which part of Nick’s rant Skye is asking about.

‘’Skye you are not liability something terrible happened to you and you’re dealing with it however you can’’.

She laughs, unamused, ‘’you already yelled at Fury didn’t you?’’

‘’We had words, he knows better than to speak to you like that’’.

‘’Do you think I’m broken?’’

Nat doesn’t even hesitate, ‘’no’’.

‘’I think I am. God you’d hope after years of dealing with this shit I’d be over it by now. And I know what you’re going to say that’s not how trauma works, it won’t go away just because I want it to’’.

‘’There are healthier ways to cope, your ways clearly don’t work’’.

‘’Better than lying on a couch crying to some shrink who only cares about getting paid’’.

‘’You and Tony have very odd assumptions when it comes to therapists’’.

‘’All I’m saying is I don’t think a licensed professional could handle me’’.

‘’You’d be surprised, come on Skye do you really want to live the rest of your life like this?’’

‘’Obviously not’’.

‘’So what are you going to do to change it?’’

‘’Probably nothing’’.

‘’You’ve been hanging around Tony too much’’.

‘’I disagree, he’s a great influence’’.

Headlights suddenly flash around the corner the sound of a vehicle approaching seems so loud in comparison to the isolation she’s experienced recently.

‘’Which moron did you send to pick me up?’’

Skye asks as the four door black sedan rolls to a stop in front of her.

‘’It’s a surprise’’.

‘’You know how much I hate those’’.

‘’Text me when you get home safe, get some sleep Skye’’.

‘’No promises’’.

She hangs up just as the driver’s door opens and Steve Rogers steps out, brightening her mood instantly.

Walking over to her he comments, ‘’freezing yourself is not the way Quake, trust me’’.

Both smiling he helps her up and brushes the snow off her jacket, ‘’your lips are blue’’.

‘’You offering to warm them up?’’

He laughs at her raised eyebrow knowing she’s just teasing, ‘’you know I’m always here to talk, especially if you’re having a bad day’’.

They trudge through the snow and the minute she sits in the car the heat hits her, she strips off her gloves and socks and puts them right against the vents.

‘’Fury shouldn’t have said any of those things to you’’.

Steve comments as they take off, Tony will send someone to retrieve her car shortly.

‘’Please don’t give me a speech about how great of a person I am okay? Nat already beat you to it’’.

‘’I wish you believed her’’.

‘’Yeah me too. Did you also yell at Fury?’’

‘’I might have, none of us are happy about it’’.

Skye can picture it now, all of the Avengers gathered in Nick’s office threatening him for verbally attacking their favorite person, she enjoys the image more than she probably should.

It’s nice though having someone stick up for her, a family she can always fall back on.

‘’Steve?’’

‘’Yes?’’

She watches the street light they’re currently stopped at turn from red to green, ‘’did you see a therapist after you came out of the ice?’’

He glances over at her, understanding in his blue eyes, ‘’no, but I probably should have’’.

They drive in silence after that and she ends up falling asleep, the last thing she remembers is Steve putting her to bed and whispering something softly.

The next morning after Steve makes her breakfast and promises he’ll be around when he needs her, Skye showers as the front door closes. Putting fresh coffee in a _Game of Thrones_ themed travel mug Tony got her for Christmas, Skye heads to Stark Tower to spend the day with Tony and Barton, ignoring Maria Hill’s phone calls and Fury’s heated emails. Hours later after a nap and helping Tony improve his new Iron Man suit, Skye heads to the bar by the Triskelion.

It’s a small place with decent music, if she times it right usually Skye can avoid the assholes in suits that are off work for the day. Smoke and multi colored lights greet her as soon as she walks in, the bartender knows her so as soon as she walks in he begins pouring her drink. There are three other occupants here, two in the vinyl booths towards the back, and one at the bar, clearly a male but his face is hidden from view. Hopping on the sticky bar stool she takes a sip of cold whiskey and checks her phone.

Besides Hill and Fury and the Avengers group chat no one else has contacted her, she tried Trip earlier but he’s in Canada and can’t talk, Rumlow is off doing god knows what and he wouldn’t call her anyway. When Skye has nothing to do it makes her antsy, gets her into trouble, which is what she’s going to blame her next decision on, tuning her energy into the only other person at the bar. The first thing she notices is the slump of his shoulders, though his black shirt isn’t tight she can make out the very attractive back muscles.

Under the dim lights she can see his dark hair and the nape of his neck, he’s clutching a beer with one hand, the other resting on his jean clad knee. Though she can’t see his face everything about him screams dangerous, like her instincts are warning her not to get too close. The thing about Skye though? She loves to drown herself in things that could damage her, make her feel something aside from this guilt and self-hatred, this darkness in her chest.

She’s drinking in the bare skin of his toned arms when he finally turns his head and she nearly spits out the whiskey. In Skye’s trysts with men it’s always been the same thing; get them in bed and use them for however long she needs, then toss them aside and look for someone else to play with. They make her feel alive for thirty seconds then it’s gone and she’s empty. But right now in this moment, looking into a pair of eyes the color of the whiskey in her glass, Skye would do anything he wanted.

Keep him for an hour, a day, a year or two. Sleep in his bed and talk for hours if he asked, run her hands down his skin and eat takeout at four in the morning. There’s something tragically beautiful about his features, like the sharp cheekbones and chiseled jawline are all an illusion and the person inside his chest is someone completely different. Skye has no idea why she thinks this or why she finds herself drawn to this person, but it’s there tugging at her skin not to be ignored.

He watches her the same way she does him, drags his warm gaze down her legs in black jeans, she’s experienced enough to know he likes what he sees. Since Skye is nothing if not impulsive she slides right over into the seat next to him, why prolong the moment when she knows how this is going to end? They’ll talk for a moment, flirt over drinks, she’ll make some offhand comment about her apartment being close by, she could have him underneath her in half an hour.

Maybe he’ll be able to shut off her brain for longer than a minute, quiet the ghosts, make her feel like a human being instead of a weapon. Skye isn’t looking for a cure to her problems, but she’d be happy to test out if he could be one. Looking for an icebreaker because he hasn’t said anything yet, she spots an easy one. Turning her body slightly and angling her head so her long hair shifts, exposing her neck, he falls into the trap, eyes lingering on her skin.

‘’I don’t think the bar tender likes you very much’’.

Dark and Dangerous smiles slightly into his next sip, ‘’I could say the same about you’’.

Deep confident voice, like he could protect you with just that reassuring tone.

‘’I’m in here too much, he’s probably tired of me’’.

Those amber eyes fixate on her face again, ‘’I doubt it’’.

On cue the bar tender glances over them, his scowl directed solely at Skye.

‘’Told you he’s not a fan’’.

‘’Did you do something to piss him off?’’

‘’Might have started a fight in here once’’.

Usually this is where a guy would laugh and say she doesn’t look like much of a fighter, but this one trails his eyes down her body again, ‘’you won’’.

She likes that it’s not a question.

‘’It was more than one fight and you know it’’.

The bar tender chimes in and Skye rolls her eyes, ‘’no one asked you to comment’’.

Lou jabs a finger in her direction, ‘’you nearly destroyed the guy’’.

‘’He deserved it’’.

He locks eyes with the stranger next to her, ‘’if you were a smart man you’d stay away from this one, she’s dangerous’’.

This time he faces her fully and smirks, ‘’I don’t mind’’.

His intentions are clear in his eyes as his body drifts closer, they talk and drink about nothing of importance until his hand is on her knee and she asks his name.

‘’Mark’’.

His answer is smooth just like the rest of him and Skye has a feeling he’s the one who laid this trap and she fell into it, she doesn’t care.

His fingers tighten on her knee and her hand comes to rest on his forearm, feeling the hard muscle and skin, she drags a fingernail across a pale blue vein.

‘’You have a name, or should I just call you the Girl from the Bar?’’

‘’Skye’’.

His legs are now pressed into hers, his arms brush against her sides as he leans in. He smells like spice and gunpowder, something sweet and heady that drags her further in. If he’s going to drown her she’d willingly let him, however many times he wanted. Eyes flicker back and forth between her lips and exposed collar bone, he’s so close she could put her arms around his neck and pull him in, in this moment it’s like the world outside doesn’t exist.

Mark, though something tells her that’s not his name, whispers in her ear, ‘’you want to get out of here?’’ Lips graze her earlobe his hands slip to her thighs and stay there, though she wants them to drift higher and never stop. She nods and gets up as he pays for their drinks and stands, she could tell he was tall but now at full height he completely dwarfs her frame.

Something that is so very very attractive to her, she’ll have to stand on her toes to reach his mouth, as if he can read her mind Mark bends down so he’s closer, she won’t have to strain to reach him after all. Running her hands up his chest she can feel the muscles underneath the material of his shirt, every single part of her is screaming to get closer, to see how he feels if he’d shudder underneath her, to make him fall apart, fall against her over and over again.

She can make out every detail of his flawless face, from the tiny scar on his nose to those eyes that seem to swallow her whole. His hands run down her arms before settling on her lower back pulling her into his hard chest, for the first time in Skye’s entire life she wants to let someone else take control, she trusts that he’d be the one to do it. He’s going to kiss her, her eyes close and she can feel the heat of his body through her shirt.

And then his phone vibrates in his pocket, breaking the moment. If it were Skye’s she’d ignore it because right now nothing is more important than the Greek god in front of her, but he apparently does not share the sentiment. He detaches completely and takes the call his demeanor changing entirely, from summer to winter, he gives one word short answers so she has no idea what the conversation is even about.

Mark hangs up after two minutes and sighs, ‘’I have to go’’.

Disappointment floods her, ice water in her veins. ‘’Saved by the bell’’.

His mouth twists, ‘’something like that’’.

Mark makes no move to touch her again, he simply studies her face as if memorizing every line, and then he smiles and starts walking to the front door, ‘’I’ll see you around Skye’’.

She crosses her arms, ‘’then you can tell me your real name’’.

He winks, taps the door frame and disappears from view, leaving her lonely.

‘’Ouch that was painful to watch’’.

She spins around to face Lou, ‘’shut up’’.

Skye spends the rest of the day drinking and then calling Steve to come pick her up.

_One Week Later_

When the Avengers say that Skye is a master at self-destructing, it isn’t a compliment and they aren’t kidding. When she goes off the deep end she falls hard, usually dragging multiple people with her and sometimes it isn’t always an accident. Luckily for them this is a moment and not a full on breakdown, this city in Mexico she’s currently drinking in is safe from Quake, for now. Skye is on the dance floor full of smoke and alcohol, the music on stage drowning out all other thoughts.

Salt and tequila fill her veins as freedom comes with the sway of her hips and every man who looks her way. Fury and Hill’s words the other day affected her apparently, she keeps hearing them say how much of a damaged person she is, hence why she’s at this bar trying to forget. Cell phone is shut off in her hotel room down the street, cameras are looped so no one at Shield would be able to find her, they’re looking, even called Tony to help assist but he refused, preferring to keep an eye on her personally.

The Avengers know where she is and that’s all that matters, if she goes too far they’ll clean up her mess, she hates and loves that assurance. Opening her eyes she catches Jose, a local she met last night, at a bar stool staring at her, light brown hair and dark eyes, Skye gestures him over to her spot on the dance floor. Knows how this night is going to end, in hands and teeth and sweat, crashing in her hotel room with the taste of rum still in her mouth.

Quake is also trying to forget about the mysterious stranger she met the other day, is hoping the one currently walking towards her will help shut off her brain. That smile, those amber eyes won’t leave her alone, ‘’Mark’’ has haunted her and she doesn’t understand why. Skye has never been one to pine over a man, if she was before she became this version of herself, she can’t recall. For years now men have served only one purpose; make her feel something.

Skye has always been the hunter in this scenario, never the prey. They chase and trip over their own feet to share the same breath as her, she never daydreams about them before or after, ever. Until now, now she can’t get Mark or whatever the hell his real name is out of her mind. Her ego says it’s because she missed out on what was probably some great sex, her head however thinks it’s because he wasn’t afraid of her. He took one look at the disaster zone of a person before him and didn’t flinch.

No one besides the Avengers have ever done that before, not even her other conquests both past and present, there’s always a small dose of fear in their eyes whenever they are with her. Nat says Skye is reading too much into Mark while Pepper counters that it was lust at first sight, whatever it is it pisses Skye off, which is why she’s dancing with Jose to forget Mark’s lips and his hands. He approaches her from behind and grasps her dress covered hips, he smells like pineapples and cigarettes.

The alcohol keeps flowing the band continues playing, Skye’s short blue floral dress is sticking to her skin as she takes a rest by the bar, Jose’s hand on her thigh. His short fingernails don’t give her the same rush, she downs another drink in the hopes the night will get better. An hour later she’s dragging him outside both for fresh air and to direct him to her hotel room. Jose is tall but not tall enough, as he pushes her against the bar’s wall and lowers his mouth to hers.

She allows the contact and grips his hair, doesn’t feel a shot of heat down her spine as he wraps her leg around his hip. He’s muttering something in Spanish in her ear as his hand slips up her dress when Skye’s powers suddenly make themselves known. She always feels this constant humming from every living thing around her, but it perks up when someone is nearby, she can make out a person’s heartbeat, the energy they give off.

She keeps kissing Jose raking her nails down his back when someone clears their throat in the mouth of the alley, it’s ignored. It’s only when someone calls her name that Skye pushes the man before her away and catches her breath, wipes the sweat from her brow. Turns to find Maria Hill of all people standing there with her arms crossed, gun at the hip glaring at Quake as if she caused all the trouble in the world. Fury’s second in command isn’t alone, some asshole in jeans with aviator sunglasses on stands next to her.

‘’Can I help you?’’

Jose asks his hand still on Skye’s shoulder, she shrugs it off and takes a step back.

‘’Get lost’’.

Hill commands and Jose only obeys when Skye tells him to go inside.

Removing the smudged lipstick off her mouth Skye turns her attention to the Shield agents, ‘’who’s the tool?’’

Skye nods to the man next to Hill and after a few more moments of studying him, Skye’s stomach starts to sink, she’d recognize those cheekbones anywhere.

‘’Fury needs you to come in’’.

‘’Fury needs to apologize before that happens’’.

Hill sighs, ‘’Quake don’t be difficult’’.

‘’Maria don’t be bitch, how’d you find me anyway?’’

‘’Just followed the scent of tequila and self-pity’’.

‘’Good one’’.

‘’It’s not an option Quake’’.

Skye cocks her head to the side, ‘’the only way you’d get me into the Triskelion right now is if I’m unconscious’’.

‘’That can be arranged’’.

It’s not Hill who said it and that deep voice rattles her bones just like it did the first time she heard it.

Skye glances over to the man who stood over her at a bar not too long ago, ‘’are you supposed to be the muscle?’’

He takes the sunglasses off and Skye shakes her head in disbelief, how could she not see he was a Shield agent? Her radar is spot on with assholes in suits that have god complexes. Annoyed at herself, the situation and Fury’s words still ringing in her ears Skye doesn’t fall into his trap again. Though the man in front of her seems so different than the one she met before, his expression colder, cheekbones sharper, jaw clenched instead of relaxed.

Was he at the bar on his day off and it was just a weird coincidence? Because Skye has never seen him at Shield before, she’d remember a face like that, but what the hell is he doing here? It’s obvious in Hill’s body language that she isn’t a fan of anyone in this alley so why did she bring him along to clearly apprehend her? Skye cracks a smile at the promise of a fight, adrenaline already burning up her veins, she could do the easy thing and just do what they want, but that’d be too simple, too boring.

‘’Fury sent me with a message’’.

Skye doesn’t take her eyes off Mark, ‘’don’t give a shit’’.

Hill gestures to the Shield agent, ‘’Quake meet Grant Ward, your new partner’’.

That causes her to freeze, ‘’my what?’’

Seeing she’s caught her off guard Hill dives in, ‘’Fury thinks you have too much free reign, Romanoff isn’t as tight with your leash as she used to be so Ward is our solution, every time you go out into the field you work together’’.

Grant Ward, it all clicks into place, she’s heard of him before. The best agent since the Black Widow, the perfect Shield agent who can transform himself into anyone at the drop of a hat, Shield has never seen anything like him, even amongst the rest of their Specialists. He’s able to mold himself into whatever he needs to be, become an entirely different person in less than a second, some say it’s magic, others say he has undiagnosed multiple personality disorder, some say no one but a sociopath can do that.

Whatever the reason, Ward is one of the most dangerous and deadliest agents Shield has ever employed, Skye is surprised she didn’t see it before. That power radiated off him in the bar, was he pretending to be someone else that day? Or was that the real him? Who is the real Grant Ward anyway, does anyone know? Or is he really an emotionless robot like everyone says? The man no one can beat in hand to hand combat, who can shed his skin and slip on another without pause.

Anger shuts off the curiosity as Skye stares between the two agents, she’ll have to shelve her reaction to almost sleeping with Grant Ward, and gaining him as a damn partner for later, right now he’s a threat. Skye would have ventured back to the Triskelion eventually but now that they aren’t giving her a choice she’s not going to be nice about it, they clearly expect her to make a scene so that’s exactly what they’re going to get.

‘’Okay first of all Turbo over there is not my partner, I’m going to pass on that one. Second of all you can’t force me to do anything, I’ll come back to Shield when I want, so if you two are done’’-

Skye moves towards the door to the bar when Ward takes a step forward, ‘’wouldn’t do that if I were you’’.

If his expression is cold his tone is even worse, chills run down her spine.

He could kill her right now if he wanted, the same could be said with all Shield agents she encounters, but Skye has a feeling Grant Ward is the only one who could actually do it.

‘’And who’s going to stop me, you? You’re not strong enough’’.

‘’We don’t have to find out today’’.

She flashes him a bitter smile, ‘’unless you’ve got Thor in your back pocket back off, do you have any idea what I can do?’’

With a twitch of her fingers for emphasis and because she’s dramatic, the ground below them trembles, the earth cracks and shakes beneath Ward’s feet.

‘’I don’t know what Fury and Hill told you but trust me Agent Ward, you’re in way over your head’’.

His brown eyes meet hers and for the first time she realizes he may not even remember her, the absence of recognition in his eyes stings, but she can’t tell if he’s pretending or not.

‘’There’s no need to make a scene Quake we can discuss this back at the Triskelion’’.

His tone has changed again dropping an octave to something calm and intimate, like they’re lying in bed together instead of standing in an alley on the cusp of a fight.

Her codename out his mouth feels wrong, empty, nothing like how he worded it before.

‘’Bite me, whatever bullshit intimidation tactic this is didn’t work. Fury and the rest of you can go to hell’’.

It takes two seconds for the situation to implode, Maria and Ward exchange a look, Skye opens the back door and then strong hands push her against the bricks, scratching her face. Grant Ward may be the best of the best but he wasn’t trained by the Black Widow, he doesn’t have powers, but Skye isn’t exactly sober tonight or on her best game. They don’t call him a machine for nothing, he shows no weakness or apprehension as Skye shoves away from the wall, lands a punch to his jaw.

They face off and Skye is about to make the first move her body in attack mode, when she sees out of the corner of her eye Hill pull out a gun, turning her attention on the bigger threat she holds out a hand and the weapon shatters into a thousand pieces before falling to the ground. It was a ploy, Skye realizes a second too late, she should have been focused on Ward because he too pulls out a weapon but it’s not a gun, it’s an ICER two scientists recently designed for Shield.

‘’I knew you didn’t look like a Mark’’. Is all she says before he fires, and she falls to the ground unconscious, a dark stain on her chest. The Avengers are not going to be happy at this turn of events.

Skye wakes to a massive headache and something cold against her skin, training her breaths to be steady and not erratic, she listens for any sign of movement, her powers tell her she is not alone. But the heart beat is so achingly familiar she does not panic or tense for a fight, instead Skye opens her eyes and comes face to face with Natasha Romanoff, who is pressing a wet cloth to Skye’s cheek. She’s lying on a couch in Nat’s office at the Triskelion, the one she rarely uses, it’s bare and practically empty.

Gray walls and wide windows, a desk with a laptop, a book shelf with files and coffee mugs, this leather couch and a small glass table are the only things inside it. Besides Skye’s leather jacket still thrown across the desk chair and her boots on the ground, nothing personal resides here. As is the life of a spy, it doesn’t bother Skye like it used to, she’s been around Romanoff long enough to know her quirks and habits, how she does things.

Nat hands her two white pills and a glass of water, Skye accepts both and puts a hand to her pounding head.

‘’How long have I been out?’’

‘’Just three hours’’.

Nat sits on the table in front of her, expression worried as Skye runs both hands down her face, ‘’did you know?’’

‘’No, Fury surprised us both. How are you feeling?’’

‘’Like I just got shot with an ICER, god what did Fitz and Simmons put in those things?’’

Anger flares in Nat’s eyes, ‘’it wasn’t supposed to end like that, the gun and ICER were precautions only’’.

‘’Yeah tell that to the massive bruise by my left boob, how much do you want to bet Agent Asshole aimed there on purpose?’’

Romanoff helps her stand, ‘’speaking of Ward’’-

‘’He’s the guy from the bar’’.

Shock coats her face for a moment before it’s wiped clean, ‘’you didn’t know who he was’’.

‘’Well I do now and he’s a real dick’’.

Heading over to Romanoff’s desk Skye opens a drawer and grabs a set of clothes she keeps here for emergencies.

‘’Fury really wants me to work with him?’’

‘’Apparently so’’.

Slipping off her dress Skye puts on a shirt of Steve’s that she stole and black jeans, places her bare feet in boots and puts her hair down, the ponytail she had it in earlier adding to her headache.

The venom she felt earlier returns, ‘’I don’t need a partner’’.

Skye starts to pace beside the windows, ‘’I mean what gives him the right? I don’t need a babysitter and why would Ward want to anyway?’’

‘’He has orders’’.

‘’And is Nicholas ordering me to work with him?’’

‘’That’s what it looks like’’.

‘’Did he forget I don’t actually work for Shield? And I don’t care if the order came from Jesus Christ himself I’m not doing it’’.

At Nat’s silence Skye looks at her, ‘’what?’’

‘’It may not be a bad thing’’.

The fact that Nat may not be on her side for this one causes Skye’s stomach to clench, ‘’I’m sorry what?’’

Seeing her head start to spin Romanoff gets up and joins her protégé, setting both hands on her shoulders, ‘’breathe, this isn’t the end of the world’’.

‘’Feels like it’’.

‘’You don’t know Ward but I do and I can’t say you being out in the field with him is a bad idea, he’ll watch your back’’.

‘’I don’t need to be protected’’.

Skye suddenly realizes that’s not his place in her life, he would be there to monitor her and put her down if she gets out of control.

She tells Nat this who shakes her head, ‘’Ward’s orders aren’t to kill you, he has some down time right now and like you doesn’t work well with others, you two would make a pretty good team actually’’.

Skye wrinkles her nose, ‘’I’d rather die’’.

‘’That’s a far cry from almost sleeping with him the other night’’.

‘’We are never speaking of that again’’.

‘’Look you know I’d never force you to do anything and Shield can’t either, but this isn’t the worst idea Fury has ever had’’.

‘’I really want to throw up every time you defend him’’.

Skye closes her eyes and waits for the pills to relieve her headache, ‘’what do you think I should do?’’

‘’Considering the fact I can’t be with you on missions all the time and neither can Steve, I think Ward is your next best bet’’.

‘’What’s the difference between him and Rumlow or any other Specialist?’’

‘’Looking at it from a government spy angle he’d save your skin because your partners, anyone else would probably just leave you there if things got rough’’.

‘’I’m not some doll that needs a man to keep me safe’’.

‘’I know that, but Ward is different, he can be anyone you want him to, maybe even someone you like’’.

‘’Too soon to joke about it’’.

‘’I trust him’’.

Skye opens her eyes, surprised, Natasha doesn’t trust anyone, ‘’seriously?’’

‘’Ward and I are cut from the same cloth in a lot of ways, he’s a good agent, he’ll watch your back’’.

‘’I swear to god if you act like he’s only hanging around to protect me one more time I’m going to break something’’.

‘’All I’m saying is this partnership could benefit you if you let it’’.

‘’How?’’

‘’It’ll get Fury off your back for one, Ward is sent on a lot of classified missions, he handles the more dangerous ones no one wants, I know how much you love near death experiences’’.

It’s true, the high of surviving something that could very well kill you is a rush Skye loves.

Nat said it as a joke but they both know it’s true, Quake has a death wish that scares the Avengers.

‘’What do you think Ward gets out of it?’’

‘’You’ll have to ask him’’.

Skye plops back down on the couch, ‘’I’ll think about it’’.

Romanoff sits near her head and beings running both hands through her hair, ‘’who knows you two may even become friends’’.

‘’That’s not going to happen’’.

Skye tries not to get close to people as a rule, she doesn’t want to go through that pain of losing someone, Nat is very aware of this.

‘’People can’t get close to me Nat, Ward should run far away, he’ll die otherwise’’.

‘’Even if he does it wouldn’t be your fault’’.

‘’Tell that to my dead parents’’.

Nat’s fingers in her hair start to relax Skye, calm the ghosts.

‘’That was Whitehall not you’’.

This conversation is beating a dead horse so Skye moves on, thinks about what will happen if she goes through with this.

Ward’s hands on her thighs flash in her mind, his flawless face and arms braced against her sides.

‘’You really think we can work together?’’

‘’You may kill each other before it’s over’’.

Skye smiles at her teasing tone, ‘’I’m serious’’.

‘’You’re not this awful person like you think you are, you’re not a mistake or some disgusting monster who doesn’t deserve happiness’’.

She’s trying so hard to believe that.

With a sigh she holds out her hands blindly towards Nat’s desk, ‘’need your laptop’’.

‘’For?’’

‘’Research on this tool you’re apparently so fond of’’.

At the bit of sourness in her tone Nat replies, ‘’you’re my favorite person, no one is ever going to replace you I promise’’.

‘’Even if you do I always have Tony’’.

Skye doesn’t have to ask where her father figure is, he’s in Fury’s office raising hell, knows this without Romanoff confirming it. Adjusting her body so her head is lying in Nat’s lap, Skye turns on the laptop and hacks into Shield’s files pulls up Ward’s. If they’re going to be partners she needs to learn everything about him so if he has weaknesses she can exploit them.

There’s a small part of her that longs to reach inside his brain and see how he can be that man at the bar and also the cold robot in that alley. Which one is real? Is Grant Ward a real person or is he a cluster of covers inside a body? Or is it all for show and he knows who he really is, but the rest of the world is blind? She’s going to find out, he has no idea the storm that’s about to wreck his life.


	7. Her Sky Isn't Blue It's A Violent Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward meet to try and see if they can work things out together before their first mission.

Pop music is blaring loudly as soon as Ward steps off the elevator, the gold and white hallway is empty as he walks next to Natasha Romanoff and they approach an apartment door with a marble handle. The walls vibrate with the intensity of the bass and he’s surprised the neighbors haven’t complained to the police yet. This penthouse isn’t like every other one around it, there’s a camera on the left corner of the door, a security code to unlock it instead of a simple key.

Romanoff knocks loudly twice and there’s no response, she even types out a message to announce her arrival but it goes unanswered. Angling her body just slightly so he can’t see, Nat types in an eight digit number without hesitation and the door clicks open, and just like that he’s in Quake’s apartment. It’s not what he expected, after researching and observing his new partner and hearing rumors around Shield about this woman he’s prepared for a messy living room, dirty dishes in the sink.

Instead he’s met with polished leather couches and spotless rungs on hardwood floors, marble counter tops and a flawless view of the city in front of them from the patio doors. There’s a monitor with three computer screens on the coffee table, two tablets on the kitchen island along with a laptop that’s seen better days, and a cellphone on the entertainment center which rests below a flat screen TV mounted to the wall.

A few throw blankets are folded neatly along the couches, a recliner in the corner reveals another laptop and tablet nestled between the cushions, there are pictures in frames on the entertainment center and coffee table, the Avengers with Quake over the years, their arms wrapped around her in various places all over the world. Nat grabs one of the devices and shuts off the music, the quiet more than welcome since he was beginning to get a headache.

Now that he can actually hear Ward makes out a shuffling noise from what he’s assuming is Skye’s bedroom, the door closed and more than likely locked. He watches Nat from the corner of his eye check the fridge, pantry and cabinets, she drags a lone finger across a knife block set beside the microwave. With a few taps to a tablet screen the lights go from dim to bright, the TV switches on to a popular medical drama show he’s heard of but never watched.

While he trusts Nat who said Quake won’t care that they’re barging in like this, it still makes Ward stand at attention just in case, he’s heard so many violent things about this certain Avenger. While he hardly listens to rumors and he definitely won’t judge someone by them, he’s still defensive. In the two days since Maria Hill informed him Skye would be his partner, Ward did as much research as he could. John who is at a higher clearance level than him managed to grab a couple classified files on her as well.

Here is what he knows about the woman they call Quake; At eighteen she was kidnapped and forced to become Gifted by a mad man who planned to use her as his own personal weapon. Whitehall killed her parents years before and also murdered anyone who ever knew about her prior to him taking her. Nick Fury would have killed her the second he knew of her existence if not for Nat, who has trained her for years now in how to protect herself and others.

Quake not only has powers that make her the strongest individual on the planet, she’s also a master hacker and martial artist, an expert marksman and spy. Everything he heard and read made one thing clear, she’s dangerous, probably the most dangerous and deadly person that has ever been affiliated with Shield. And she’s his partner, Maria was a little too smug when she informed him of this and his duties regarding her.

Since Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark never give Fury the full story on anything regarding Quake, Ward’s job is to report everything she does in the field, if he thinks she’s too much of a liability to continue associating with Shield. Hill didn’t say Skye would be put down if he believes she’s too much trouble but Ward read between the lines, and apparently for some reason Nick thinks Grant is the only one who would be able to do the job, that he can handle Quake and all of her faults.

While he’s not exactly thrilled with this arrangement orders are orders, and Garrett who also thought this was a good idea, comes first. There’s another reason entirely he accepted this new job title, Skye is close with Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, arguably the smartest people in this world and they could possibly have a cure for John if he digs deep and manipulates enough. She also works within the Triskelion and since that’s where Phil Coulson is currently stationed, it works out well.

Ward will do this without complaining because that’s how he was trained, Skye however didn’t share his viewpoint. Since she learned they’d be partners he watched her storm into Fury’s office and scream at him until Natasha had to calm her down. Iron Man was also present and yelled at the Director of Shield as well for a good half hour until Captain America walked in and cooled everyone’s tempers. Apparently if Skye falls in line and accepts this new reality, the Avengers will too.

After yelling at Fury forty eight hours ago Skye locked herself in this apartment and hasn’t been heard from since, which is why Nat showed up unannounced with Ward, she and Iron Man decided Skye would work better with Grant if they talked and got a feel for each other before going into the field blind. It’s a good idea, one he would have recommended if they hadn’t beaten him to it. But Shield doesn’t know they’ve met before this, that he saw her in a bar not too long ago.

He’d just finished up another boring mission and needed a drink to make him feel something, anything other than the cold chill that filled his chest. Seated on a bar stool with a cold beer Ward prepared to drown his sorrows in alcohol when she walked in, this beautiful stranger with long brown hair who demanded attention without even trying. It was like she sucked all the air out of the room as she took a seat, every eye every person she cupped in the palm of her hands.

Ward felt drawn to her when they locked eyes, like something or someone was pulling him into her chest and he’d gladly drown in her for as long as she allowed. It was a strange and puzzling reaction that he’d never experienced before with anybody, he still has no idea where it came from or why. Surprising him Skye sat in the stool next to him and struck up conversation, he knew the minute the bar tender looked at her that she was different, there was a danger in the air around her.

The way she moved and held herself, power and confidence in her shoulders was something he was immediately attracted to, she didn’t seem intimidated or shy underneath his gaze as some women are. The longer they spoke the more he recognized the underlining pain in her eyes beneath all that bravado, a darkness simmering just below the surface waiting to be let loose. Anger sat against her skin directed at everyone and everything, like she wanted to set the world on fire.

Ward could relate, though his own pain is carefully concealed in boxes, never allowed to come to the surface unless he wants it to. Grant has battled his demons and locked them away (or so he thinks) the trauma he endured as a child no longer affects everyday life. He isn’t that same scared kid anymore that flinched when his mother spit in his face, he doesn’t tremble when a gun is pointed at his chest like he did with Garrett so long ago.

Skye though clearly hadn’t put her own demons away, they were on a thin leash biting and licking at whoever they came in contact with, they didn’t scare Grant. He’s been through too much, stared into the face of John Garrett when he’s angry, so nothing frightens him anymore. Looking at her under the dim lights of the bar her leg pressed into his, Ward wanted to keep her for hours or days, feel her skin beneath his hands, her lips against his own.

Everything about her drew him in, her voice, her jokes, the instincts that screamed at him to be cautious were ignored as soon as he placed his fingers on her thigh. Her brown eyes could ruin him and Ward didn’t care, all he wanted in that moment was to belong to her, Skye could do whatever she wanted and he’d let her. But then John called shattering the moment and he had to leave, giving her a fake name he hoped the next time they met things would work out.

However the next time he saw Skye was in Mexico, drunk off tequila with flushed cheeks he and Hill were sent to bring her in so Fury could debrief her on what was going on. It didn’t end the way he intended honestly, after he realized the woman from the bar was not only his partner but the person he’d been told was an empty robot, he switched into Shield Agent mode. Things got out of hand and escalated quickly and he had no choice but to use his ICER.

Also according to rumor Skye holds grudges so he can’t imagine she’ll be happy to see him now, that stolen moment in the bar will probably be lost to memory and never turn into anything more. No matter what happens or how this all ends, Ward will always associate that evening with something good, Skye looked into his face and didn’t see the abused child he once was, or the closed off hatchet man everyone thinks he is, she simply saw him somehow.

Didn’t believe the persona he wore but accepted it anyway, desire so present in her eyes it nearly did him in. Now in her penthouse Ward wonders if she’ll accept this new partnership or fight it, Fury says that as long as Nat views it as a positive thing Quake will too, time will tell. Romanoff grabs three waters out of the fridge and hands him one, sets the other on the kitchen counter just as the bedroom door opens and a pair of long tan legs walks out.

Skye is wearing a _Rolling Stones_ shirt with a tear down the middle and nothing else, the orange lettering is fading and the sleeves are frayed, her hair falls in waves down past her shoulders, her toenails are painted black and the second she notices him her face twists in annoyance. Quake stops in the hall looking between him and Nat, who throws the bottle of water at her apprentice. She takes a long sip of water, never letting her gaze off him for a moment.

‘’You turned off my favorite song’’.

Nat isn’t fazed by Skye’s tone, ‘’are you alone?’’

‘’Yup’’.

As if to purposely contradict her the toilet in the bathroom of her room flushes, but she doesn’t bat an eye.

‘’What’s the tool doing here?’’

‘’Now Skye that’s not the way to talk about your new partner’’.

The dry humor in Nat’s voice has Quake rolling her eyes, ‘’bite me’’.

There is a plant that grows in Central Asia, Russia and Europe called Aconitum Napellus, it’s referred to as _Wolfs-bane_ and the _Queen of all Poisons._ Ingest any and death is almost instantaneous, it’s beautiful and deadly, wild and dangerous. Looking at Skye now, Grant can’t help but compare the two, this hurricane of a woman and the bright purple flowers he saw once years ago on a mission, gorgeous in the sunlight but don’t get too close unless you want to die.

Put yourself anywhere near those petals and the plant will destroy you, it’s an apt description for Quake who has a reputation for violence instead of mercy, she could probably wipe the floor with him if she wanted to. Skye cocks her head to the side and studies him like she did at the bar, with dark eyes and a private smirk on her face he doesn’t understand. Since Ward is an expert at reading people, their body language and everything they don’t say, it unnerves him that he can’t do the same to Skye.

She walks to one of the couches just as a man comes out her room, face flushed and a scowl on his face.

He takes one look at Nat then focuses on Ward, sizing him up, ‘’you her boyfriend or something?’’

Quake gags before commanding, ‘’get out’’.

He runs a hand through sweaty blonde hair, ‘’but we haven’t finished’’-

‘’You heard her’’.

Nat purrs, that cool tone even causes Ward to stand a bit straighter.

The stranger scoffs before throwing his black shirt and jeans from the floor on, stops mumbling under his breath as soon as he meets Ward’s glare.

‘’You could at least apologize for wasting my time’’.

He says as he opens the front door, Skye’s only response is throwing a coffee mug at his head, which shatters upon impact against the wall, he ducks and leaves in a rush.

‘’Are you always this hostile?’’

Ward asks as he takes a seat on the opposite couch.

‘’Yes’’.

Nat gestures between the two of them, ‘’since you ignored this the first time, Skye meet Ward, Ward, Skye’’.

Quake sighs, ‘’I am not a toddler, I know who he is’’.

‘’Then maybe you shouldn’t act like it’’.

‘’Maybe I should just kill him now, solve all my problems’’.

Ward can’t tell if she’s kidding or not, he’s about to tense up when Nat smiles fondly at her protégé.

‘’Be nice, besides he’s too pretty to kill’’.

‘’Maybe you should work with him then’’.

Ward pretends to relax into the couch, ‘’if we’re going to work together we need to have some kind of understanding’’.

‘’Gross’’.

‘’Skye’’.

‘’I don’t need a babysitter!’’

‘’I have orders, whether you like it or not I won’t disobey them’’.

Skye snorts, ‘’god you really are the government tool bag everyone says you are’’.

He doesn’t deny it, this cover is every single inch the perfect Shield agent.

It seems all the tension from the bar is gone now that they know who the other is, Grant isn’t sure if that’s a good thing yet or not.

‘’My job is’’-

Skye silences him with a finger in the air as she grabs a tablet and begins typing.

‘’I’ll leave you two alone’’.

Nat walks out shutting the door quietly behind her but he’s not fooled, there are cameras in the apartment, Fury, Tony Stark and Nat are watching this exchange behind closed doors.

After a moment Skye looks up at him, ‘’Grant Douglas Ward, son of Robert and Elizabeth Ward, brother to Senator Christian Ward who by the way looks like a real asshole’’.

He doesn’t disagree with her on that.

‘’You have two younger siblings, Thomas and Rose, one just graduated high school and the other is currently in Thailand’’.

Grant keeps tabs on his family so he already knows where Thomas is, isn’t surprised that Skye was able to access this information on him.

Her brown eyes flick up to him as she reads, ‘’you were sent to a juvenile detention center when you were fifteen for setting your house on fire’’.

This is all on Shield record so he doesn’t tense, ‘’yes’’.

‘’Was your family inside?’’

He doesn’t answer because no one but Garrett knows the truth, Christian was.

At his silence Skye moves on, ‘’you’re only in your twenties?’’

‘’Yes’’.

She nods to his bare cheekbones, ‘’you look like a toddler with your face like that’’.

‘’Is there a point to this’’-

‘’you know your parents gave you the whitest name ever, you sound like some rich douchebag who belongs in politics’’.

‘’I leave that title to my older brother’’.

‘’Was that your attempt at humor?’’

His left eye twitches the only indication this conversation is annoying him, which she picks up on.

Leans forward so the shirt she’s wearing shifts giving him a clear view of the outline of her breasts, which he tries and fails not to notice.

‘’You seem nervous Agent Ward’’.

He’s not, though it seems she’s somehow getting under his skin.

‘’Is me being half naked bothering you?’’

‘’No’’.

Eyes back on her face she grins, ‘’if we’re going to work together don’t you think you should be honest with me?’’

Reaching underneath the coffee table she pulls out a black case that has him on alert, opening it she pulls out a heavy duty syringe and wags her brows, ‘’wanna play a game?’’

Before he can respond the front door opens swiftly and Nat walks in with a frown, ‘’what is that?’’

Crossing her legs and putting a blanket over them Skye replies, ‘’truth serum’’.

‘’Where did you get it?’’

‘’Stole it from Fitzsimmons’’.

Romanoff holds out her hand and Skye reluctantly hands it over, ‘’fun killer’’.

Ruffling Skye’s hair Nat glances at him before walking back out.

‘’Shield doesn’t have a truth serum’’.

‘’That’s what they want you to think, so how many people have you killed?’’

‘’Excuse me?’’

‘’Humor me give me a number’’.

‘’No’’.

‘’Twenty, thirty, more than a hundred?’’

At his stony silence she sighs, ‘’you’re a real fun machine’’.

‘’You have no idea’’.

Skye raises a single eyebrow as he gives her a slow once over, trying to direct the conversation to its original purpose.

‘’Is it true you don’t work well with others?’’

Quake glances at the TV that’s playing the medical show, fake blood and surgical instruments distract her for a moment before she turns back to him.

‘’Did your friends at Shield tell you that?’’

‘’A few’’.

She gets him back with, ‘’is it true you’re a robot with no emotions whatsoever?’’

Garrett started that rumor and this Agent Ward mask solidified it, it’s just easier not to get close to people so that if he has to kill them for Garrett he’ll have no emotional ties.

Plus he’s never been good socially, not as a child and definitely not as an adult.

This fake version of him is so full of lies that everyone believes it without hesitation.

He settles with something she’ll accept and possibly identify with, ‘’I was an awkward child, never really got over it’’.

‘’I can see that’’.

There’s a moment of silence where they study each other and Ward can’t help but feel that pull again, like someone has a string tied to both their chests and is pulling them together. It’s unsettling.

Skye picks at the blanket tangled with her legs, ‘’I’m assuming you didn’t tell anyone about the bar’’.

‘’I’m assuming you did’’.

‘’Just Nat’’.

He guessed as much, even if the two women weren’t talked about around the Triskelion, anyone could see the bond between the two just by looking.

‘’So are we going to address it or pretend like it didn’t happen?’’

He lies smoothly, replying, ‘’I think its best if we pretend it didn’t happen’’.

Even as he says it a plan starts forming in the back of his mind on how to get closer to her, how he could blind the strongest person in the room to what he and John really are.

Skye’s leg starts bouncing up and down, ‘’look the only reason why you’re still sitting here is because Nat likes you and Fury gave me an ultimatum so I have no choice but to work with you’’.

He leans in, curious, he can’t see Quake bending to what anyone wants, let alone Fury.

‘’I either work with you or leave, and right now Shield is the only option I have’’.

He’s surprised at the vulnerability in her voice, that she’s willingly admitting this to him.

Grant also recognizes they have this in common, Shield is his only option too, has been for years.

‘’So while I’m not exactly thrilled about it, Nat trusts you so that has to be enough for me’’.

‘’Weren’t you the one who screamed at Fury over this two days ago?’’

She half smiles, ‘’I have a tendency to fly off the handle sometimes, but then I get over it, the Avengers help’’.

‘’We may be partners but I’m not Tony Stark or Steve Rogers, I can’t stop in the middle of what I’m doing to calm you down because you’re throwing a tantrum’’.

If he does that, they could both wind up dead.

Her eyes flash, ‘’I’m not asking you to’’.

‘’Good’’.

She tilts her head to the side, ‘’how tall are you?’’

He normally hates when people randomly jump from one topic to another in a conversation, but he doesn’t have a problem with Skye doing it for some reason.

‘’Six three, why?’’

She hums, ‘’no reason’’.

Though he tries to push it away he’s remembering how her legs felt in his grip, the smell of her hair and how her chest brushed against his own.

He shoots a question that’s been bothering him since he walked in here, ‘’what’s your name?’’

Knowing exactly what he means Skye grits her teeth clearly uncomfortable, ‘’Skye’’.

‘’What’s your real name?’’

Her leg starts moving again, a nervous tick, ‘’Daisy, but no one calls me that’’.

He wonders about her past, why she chooses to go by Skye, he can see old pain in her eyes at the subject and lets it go.

Ward is all too familiar with ghosts of the past you’d rather not think about.

Reminded about the mission he has this afternoon he asks, ‘’you in? Is this interrogation over with?’’

Skye cracks a smile and half his brain registers yet again how beautiful she is, ‘’one more question’’.

‘’What?’’

‘’Out of all the names you could have gone with, why Mark?’’

Grant can’t help the laugh that escapes him even though he tries hard to rein it in, it doesn’t escape his notice how intently Skye is watching him.

‘’Look I’ll work with you on one condition, don’t pull any heroic bullshit acts, you look like the type of guy who’d be a White Knight and jump out of a plane for me and I don’t need that’’.

Ward would like to say his undercover mask would be the only reason he’d jump in front of a bullet for her, but that’d be a lie. He’d do it for unknown reasons, something foreign pushing him to her.

‘’Fine’’.

‘’Oh and before we get started you should know I don’t take orders from anyone except Nat so I sure as hell won’t take them from you’’.

‘’I guessed as much’’.

Shame briefly passes across her face before she says, ‘’you don’t look like the judgmental type’’.

‘’I’m usually not’’.

He has no right to condemn anyone, not after why he’s with Shield in the first place, not after the terrible things he’s done over the years.

‘’Shield is full of assholes, just don’t believe everything you hear about me’’.

‘’Wasn’t planning on it’’.

‘’Good’’.

‘’Good’’.

He stands and she follows, his eyes lock on her legs for a long moment and when she turns around he gets a brief view of her backside, Skye winks at him over her shoulder as she goes to change.

And he just knows she’s probably going to be the death of him.

While she’s getting dressed Ward takes another look around the apartment, not caring about the people watching him do this. Besides the high tech security and various electronics everywhere, it’s a large empty space that’s trying to pretend it’s anything but. There are two limes and a case of waters in the fridge, cereal and bread in the pantry along with a gun under the kitchen counter. The trash needs to be taken out and the plugged in air freshener needs to be changed.

He finds one drawer full of nothing but knives, different shapes and sizes but all dangerously sharp, there’s a bottle of black nail polish in between a few blades. Call it training from his military school days or being alone in the woods for five years, but Ward has this itching desire to organize everything that’s misplaced. He has a feeling a cleaning crew comes in every once in a while but Skye probably just makes a mess of their work as soon as they leave.

The shower shuts off in her bedroom and a few minutes later Skye comes out with wet hair and a tight black shirt on. The gun strapped to her hip does not escape his notice, he expressed concerns about that to Hill who just shook her head and claimed Quake doesn’t need a weapon since she’s one all her own, wearing a gun just makes her feel more secure. Skye looks at him standing beside the couch and bounces on the balls of her feet like she’s already regretting this decision, if Ward had a choice in the matter he probably would too.

‘’Where are we headed?’’

‘’Russia’’.

She wrinkles her nose and he nearly sighs, it’s obvious Skye is a complainer and her running commentary is the last thing he wants to hear.

‘’Why?’’

‘’Our target may have Shield secrets that were obtained illegally, our job is to’’-

‘’Seduce him or her into telling us everything they know? Boring, been there done that, it’s never enjoyable’’.

A part of Grant, the real him not this cover, wants to ask her about this, if she too hates the feel of foreign hands on her body and if she showers until her skin bleeds when the mission is over.

But Agent Ward just grits his teeth, ‘’you can just sit there and look pretty’’.

Quake cocks her head to the side, ‘’one of us is arm candy in this partnership and it’s not me. How about you wear a tight outfit, laugh at something that isn’t funny and fall into bed with some random asshole? Just because I’m a woman does not mean it’s my job to open my legs while you do all the work every time’’.

Bitterness seeps into every word and he wonders if Romanoff feels bad for putting her protégé in this situation.

Grant never considered a mentor having those feelings, John sure as hell never did.

‘’That’s not what I meant’’.

She takes a step to him, ‘’let’s get one thing clear Agent Ward, I am never going to sit off the side and fluff my hair while you save the day, I’m more than a pretty face’’.

Oh he knows, he knew she was more than anything he’s ever seen before the second they locked eyes in that bar.

‘’Stay out of my way and we’ll be just fine’’.

Skye backs up as he replies, ‘’same here’’.

‘’Oh and one more thing before I forget’’.

Ward has no time to brace himself or even prepare for the onslaught as she holds out a hand and he’s knocked backwards into the wall, this overwhelming pressure and weight in his bones. It may be the most painful thing he’s ever experienced, he can’t breathe or think or move, nothing exists but the lightning in his blood. Skye is a blur of brown hair and then the wall holding him back disappears, but the relief of being free from her powers doesn’t last for long.

Once his vision clears and he can feel again, her hand rests over his heart, nails digging into skin as if she can reach into his chest and pull out the organ, the look on her face would probably intimidate anyone but it hardly fazes him. Skye’s body in pressed into every inch of his own, she smells like vanilla and if it were possible right now he’d run his hands through her hair, take her in his arms. It’s a surprising thought and Ward has no idea where it came from, she could very well kill him right now.

In this second, he honestly wouldn’t mind.

Skye’s voice is quiet but the intention is deadly clear when she growls, ‘’if you ever ICE me again I will break every single bone in your body’’. Grant has been threatened numerous times so he’s become desensitized to it, it genuinely has nothing to do with Skye herself, so he just nods, no fear in his eyes. ‘’Don’t give me a reason to’’ .It’s not the answer she wanted, he assumes that most people probably bend to her will because they’re too terrified to do anything else. 

Ward’s jaw throbs as if remembering the punch she graced it with the other day, he’s fully aware who the strongest person in this room is and it’s not him. ‘’Can we go or do you want to threaten me some more?’’ He flashes a smirk he’s been told is dazzling and Skye narrows her eyes but releases him, puts distance between their bodies as she grabs a phone off the coffee table and shoves it in her back pocket, after sending her the specs and coordinates for the operation they head out the door.

The Black Widow is leaning against the wall in the hallway and gives Skye a smirk, ‘’everything okay?’’

Quake replies in Russian, _‘’he’s an asshole’’._

They’re walking to the elevator as Nat responds with amusement, ‘’he can speak Russian’’.

Cursing quietly under breath Skye spends the entire ride down on her phone, not speaking to either of them.

Hours later after being briefed on the mission once again and taking a jet to Russia where Skye slept the entire time, they’re in a popular night club where the target, Finneas frequently spends his time. The lights are too bright the music too loud, too many bodies in one room, it makes Ward antsy. Skye isn’t helping his mood, the second they got here she headed straight for the bar and has been slinging back tequila shots ever since, laughing and talking with anyone and everyone.

He honestly can’t tell if it’s an act or she’s just sabotaging the mission to piss him off, whatever the reason he wants this to be over with already so he can go back to his apartment. Not having any luck spotting Finneas on the dance floor he goes to the bar to ask Skye if she’s had any luck but when he elbows his way through the mass of people she’s nowhere to be found. Putting a finger to his com unit he asks where she is but gets no response, he can’t find her anywhere.

Deciding to check the upper levels Ward weaves his way through drunken sweaty bodies and tries the nearest room, empty, every bathroom and spare room is empty. He’s about to head back down when the unmistakable sound of a scream splinters the air, he heads towards it dread filling his chest as he runs into a supply closet and throws open the door. In front of the mops and brooms Finneas clutches his head with both hands as blood pours out of his eyes and mouth.

Skye stands in front of him not even sparing Ward a glance as she holds out a single hand, a blank empty look on her face as the man’s mouth opens in a silent scream. Grant doesn’t even hesitate as he pulls her away and checks to see if the target is alive when he slumps to the ground, sobbing. His pulse is there but weak and a second later he passes out, clenching his jaw Ward turns around to see Skye inspecting her nails without a care in the world. 

She looks up at him and smiles, ‘’oh that’s not a pretty face’’.

‘’What the hell is wrong with you?’’

‘’Lots of things, want a list?’’

‘’This isn’t a joke’’.

She studies him and doesn’t understand the rage in his eyes, she thinks it’s because he lives and breathes Shield but that’s not it at all.

If he fails one mission if anything goes wrong that means he fails Garrett, and that’s never going to be an option, he’d rather die.

‘’Chill Turbo, he didn’t even know anything anyway’’.

‘’Are you positive? Or did you just punch first and ask questions later?’’

‘’As long as we get the information who cares how I obtain it?’’

‘’I do! This isn’t a game Skye’’.

‘’Did I say it was?’’

Below him Finneas groans, his eyes flutter like he’s trying to wake up, Skye brushes past him and he has just enough time to grab her elbow as she draws back her leg and kicks him in the face, this time he’s out cold.

‘’That was unnecessary’’.

‘’God are you done throwing a mantrum?’’

At the unamused look on his face she clarifies, ‘’a man tantrum, how did you not get that?’’

He pinches the bridge of his nose and hauls the target to his feet, ‘’this conversation isn’t over’’.

‘’Watch your tone’’.

‘’Don’t screw up my mission’’.

‘’Don’t treat me like a child’’.

‘’Then don’t act like one’’.

Ward has no idea how it happens but suddenly Skye has an ICER in her hand and is pointing it at his chest, ‘’it’s only fair if I return the favor Cheekbones’’.

The last thing he sees is a blue flash and then nothing at all.

Grant wakes to the feel of something cold on his face and a familiar voice speaking quietly. Opening his eyes to find he’s in the medical section of the Triskelion he sits up on the cot and Jemma Simmons frowns when she meets his eyes. Groaning at the headache he feels coming on he accepts the pills and water Jemma hands him, glances over her shoulder to see Leo Fitz watching him closely, as well as Phil Coulson.

He’s worked with Fitzsimmons before and even Agent Melinda May on a few things, but never Coulson so he’s not sure why the other man is here. Not that he’s complaining, the sooner he can sink the hooks into Phil the better, he needs all the answers the Shield agent is hiding. 

‘’How are you feeling?’’

Simmons asks with a gentle smile.

‘’Fine’’.

‘’Are you excited to be working with Quake?’’

Ward sits up fully his tone dry as he responds to Fitz, ‘’like Christmas’’.

‘’She’s not that bad’’.

‘’Tell that to my probably dead target and the fact that she used the weapon you two invented on me’’.

‘’Well you did ICE her first’’.

At the look Ward shoots him Fitz quiets down.

‘’Your target isn’t dead by the way, Finneas is singing like a canary down the hall, apparently Quake scared him pretty good’’.

‘’Great’’.

‘’Agent Ward, I know Skye is’’-

‘’Unstable’’.

Grant doesn’t understand the sympathy that enters Phil’s eyes, ‘’I was going to say damaged, and she doesn’t work well with others kind of like you’’.

And then he understands why Coulson is here, Hill sent him down to soothe Ward’s temper and do damage control.

He stands and shakes off Fitz’s assistance. 

‘’You don’t have to like her Ward but she is your partner’’.

‘’Don’t lecture me’’.

‘’All I’m saying is’’-

‘’I know what my orders are and they don’t come from you’’.

He leaves the room in search of Skye, it takes a few minutes to find her.

Quake sits alone in one of the training rooms twirling a knife between her fingers, her eyes narrow as he walks in and shuts the door. Anger simmers just below his ribs, fear too, though he ignores it because now is not the time to worry about Garrett’s reaction. Skye just sits there staring at him as if nothing is wrong, he can admit it’s not entirely her fault though, she just like everyone else at Shield has no idea what’s at stake, why he’s really here.

‘’I heard Finneas is currently spilling everything he knows, feel free to say thank you anytime’’.

‘’If we’re going to work together it’s going to require patience and trust’’.

‘’Two things you apparently don’t have in your programming’’.

He doesn’t smile at the robot joke, ‘’I can’t work with you if you constantly fly off the handle and don’t communicate with me, this is going to be over before it starts if you don’t get it together’’.

‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’You nearly killed a man on the off chance he might know something, I don’t work that way’’.

‘’So you’re saying I’m the only one that has to compromise in this partnership? How is that fair?’’

‘’I’m not the one with the problem’’.

She raises a brow, ‘’and what problems in your professional opinion do I have Agent Ward?’’

‘’You’re violent and immature, un’’-

‘’If the word unstable comes out of your mouth I’m going to punch you in the face again’’.

He sighs, ‘’you need to talk to me before you do something drastic, out there in the field it’s life or death and I can’t afford to protect both myself and you while simultaneously trying to calm you down’’.

‘’No one is asking you to watch over me’’.

‘’What’s the alternative? Let you destroy buildings and murder our targets? That’s not going to work’’.

Her eyes flash as she stands on a yoga mat her feet bare, ‘’first of all stop acting like you know me, second of all I can handle myself’’.

‘’Doesn’t look like it from where I’m standing’’.

She huffs as he continues, ‘’you said you didn’t have a choice in working with me, but I could easily ask for a transfer or new partner, I don’t need you’’.

‘’Are you threatening me?’’

‘’Of course he’s not’’.

Natasha Romanoff’s silky voice comes from the shadows and she suddenly appears beside Skye, ‘’the mission was a success, I don’t see the problem’’.

‘’The problem is he’s a dick’’.

‘’The problem is that your protégé shouldn’t be working in the field without some kind of safety net’’.

Romanoff looks between them and puts a hand on Skye’s shoulder, ‘’Tony is in my office asking for you’’.

It’s a clear dismissal and Quake is not amused, ‘’are you kicking me out?’’

‘’I just need a minute with Cheekbones here’’.

Ward isn’t a fan of the new nickname, he’s hated his reflection for years now and needs no reminders of it. 

It’s pretty obvious that Skye feels threatened by Nat’s attention on anyone else, let alone him. Which is why she curses in Russian as she walks out and flashes him a nasty glare, bumps her shoulder into his so hard it’ll bruise later.

‘’Skye isn’t a bad person’’.

‘’I never said she was’’.

‘’She just’’-

‘’I should have been warned about what I was walking into with her before our first mission together’’.

‘’You’re right, to be honest I thought Skye would have told you herself but since she didn’t I will’’.

Sorrow washes over Nat’s face which surprises him, they both have hard earned reputations for being emotionless.

‘’She suffers from PTSD and sometimes it manifests into violence, not all the time but today it did. She was stressed out from this new change and unfortunately your mark suffered because of it’’.

‘’That’s not an excuse, you’ve been training her for years now she should know how to act during a mission’’.

Most people would be quivering at the anger in his voice but Romanoff just looks amused, ‘’where did Hill find you again? I swear it’s like they molded the Shield handbook into a person and you came out’’.

‘’If all you’re going to do is defend Skye’s behavior’’-

‘’I’m warning you just like you asked, if you would get off your high horse and listen this conversation would go a lot smoother’’.

Taking a deep breath Ward nods, he’s usually more calm and collected than this.

‘’I can’t promise Skye won’t have a moment like that again, she won’t admit it but she does want to work with you, just don’t write her off like everyone else’’.

‘’And I’m supposed to hold her hand and coddle her when she freaks out? That’s your job not mine’’.

Grant didn’t forget who he was talking to but when Nat flashes a smirk it causes his survival instincts to flare up.

‘’All I ask is that you give her a chance, everyone else that did at Shield turned their backs on her’’.

A small bit of pity wedges into his chest, after a heavy sigh he says, ‘’fine’’.

Because let’s be honest, it’s not like he has a choice here either way.

‘’Who knows you two might even become friends’’.

Ward snorts, ‘’doubtful’’.

Natasha pats his shoulder on her way out, she’s halfway to the door when she says, ‘’Skye was right, you don’t look like a Mark’’.

And he laughs for the first time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ward: ''I tHiNk iT's BeSt iF wE pReTeND iT dIdN't HaPpEn''.
> 
> Yeah, that'll work out well for him.
> 
> Thank you for reading and feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> (I also hope everyone has seen that meme on social media so my joke about Ward's comment above doesn't just look weird.)


	8. Do You Call Yourself A Fucking Hurricane Like Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward work with Fitzsimmons for the first time, it doesn't end well.
> 
> Based off the episode of Agents of Shield season 1, ''0-8-4''.

Skye runs her fingers through warm sand, wishing the ocean were just at the edge and not a stone wall. That seagulls were annoying her currently and not people, she’d kill for a margarita and a man right about now. Someone to rub suntan oil on her back while she fell asleep to the sound of waves, but unfortunately she’s not in paradise on a weekend getaway. The sand under her nails isn’t from Cancun or another tropical island, it’s from Peru, she’d much rather be in Hawaii.

The ground is hard underneath her, the stone wall she’s resting against has started to dig into her spine. Taking a sip of an energy drink she balances it on her outstretched knee and continues texting, the Avengers group chat is dead this morning since everyone is out on a mission or working tirelessly. Looking out into her surroundings Skye sighs, bored already, hopes this particular mission either heats up soon or ends quickly so she can go back home.

Early this morning she was woken out of a good dream to Ward calling, saying she had to be at the Triskelion as soon as possible because they were called in to investigate an object of unknown origin in Peru. This is her fifth mission with Ward and so far they’ve all had the same end result; she screws up thinking it’s the right thing to do and he yells which causes her own defenses to rise, and they always wind up screaming at each other in parking lots, the gym, or out in the lobby of the Triskelion.

He pushes her buttons, claws his way under her skin so deep she’s pretty sure permanent bruises line her veins. Special Agent Grant Ward is pushy, annoying, closed off, too quiet, uptight, thinks he knows what’s best, condescending and arrogant, basically is an all-around asshole and she’s positive they cooked him up in some government lab. Nothing else would make sense, how he always follows orders even it puts him in danger, it’s like all he cares about in completing the mission without any regard to himself.

Skye would say he has a death wish but after observing that’s not it at all, it’s almost as if he’s fighting for something but she can’t figure out what, he’s dead set on finishing a mission no matter what. Her working at his side bothers him, something she can tell because it’s all over his face whenever they’re in the same room, he doesn’t hide it. Currently Ward is outside checking the perimeter for rebels because they’re fairly active on this side of the country, while she’s supposed to keep an eye on the two scientists who are studying the 0-8-4.

Fitzsimmons are standing off to the side of this tomb they’re in wearing goggles and gloves, arguing about the best way to get the object out of the wall, Skye watches them in amusement. Phil Coulson is also here, he’s also outside talking on the phone either to Hill or another Shield agent, for some reason Fury’s right hand decided the three of them needed to be present for some reason on this mission, something Ward was not thrilled about.

He made some comment under his breath that only she heard, that Fitzsimmons aren’t field trained and the last thing he needs is to watch over two kids that have no idea how to defend themselves. Which is another reason Skye is keeping an eye on them, the science babies are precious and harmless, they need to be protected at all costs and this mission could turn dangerous in less than a second. Whether from rebels or the 0-8-4, everyone needs to be cautious.

Simmons looks over at her and frowns, ‘’are you alright Skye?’’

‘’Fine’’.

‘’Are you sure? You seem on edge’’.

‘’You seem on edge Fitz’’.

He scoffs, adjusts the gloves on his small hands, ‘’I’m perfectly fine thank you very much’’.

‘’Is it because of Agent Ward? Are you two not getting along still?’’

‘’I mean how can anyone get along with a robot? I swear Hill built him herself, programmed his brain to be the perfect Shield Agent’’.

‘’That’s why everyone calls him a robot’’.

‘’Or T-1000’’.

Skye takes a sip of her energy drink, ‘’hey I called dibs on that nickname’’.

‘’He is rather strung tight don’t you think?’’

‘’More like has a giant stick up his ass’’.

Simmons smirks while Fitz glances out the entry point to make sure the man in question doesn’t walk through.

Then in an American accent he says, ‘’I’m Agent Grant Ward, I could shoot the legs off a flea from five hundred yards as long as it’s not windy’’.

Skye chokes on her drink from laughing and Simmons joins her.

Jemma joins in on the stellar impersonation, ‘’I’m Agent Grant Ward and I could rupture your spleen with my left pinky, blindfolded’’.

They’re all still laughing when Ward walks through the entrance of the tomb, they try to stifle it but grins still peak out.

He looks at all three of them, ‘’something funny?’’

Skye sobers up first and teases, ‘’we were just talking about how you tuck your shirt into your pants’’.

She’s actually a fan of the look, the white shirt and leather jacket combination has been doing things to her all day, but she’s obviously not going to admit that.

Ward places both hands on his hips, ‘’in the middle of handling a dangerous object you three were discussing how I dress? How is that relevant to the situation?’’

‘’Trust me it is, you have a Dad Vibe going on and it’s bothering me’’.

Grant continues to give her his trademark annoyed look, ‘’this is a mission not a picnic, get it together’’.

Skye crosses both legs, still sitting on the ground, ‘’who made you Team Leader?’’

He points at Fitzsimmons, ‘’not field trained’’.

Then at Skye, ‘’walking disaster. Who else would lead point?’’

‘’Coulson’’.

At this Skye snorts, ‘’Phil would sooner get shot than ever be relied on in a life threatening situation’’.

Fitz mutters, ‘’at least you and Ward agree on something’’.

‘’Don’t hold your breath’’.

Tuning Ward out Skye checks social media again and the cameras around them to see any rebel activity, it’s quiet so far.

She’s about to give the all clear when a caravan of armored trucks suddenly pull up in front of the tomb, alerting both Skye and Ward instantly, ‘’we have company’’.

Grant goes out to see who they are while Skye stays with Fitzsimmons, the three of them watch the drama unfold while still running tests on the 0-8-4 that’s submerged into the wall. Coulson and Ward take cover while armed people begin to file out of the trucks, when they begin to drift towards the trees Grant disposes of them quickly and quietly. Then they start raising their weapons which causes Ward to break out of his hiding spot and grab one of them by the throat, gun pointed at his head.

A woman steps out of a vehicle dressed in camouflage with aviator sunglasses on, Skye inches towards the door as she approaches Ward, Coulson steps into view and doesn’t tense up or pull out his gun like he should. ‘’Phillip?’’ ‘’Camilla? Do you mind?’’ He gestures to the weapons pointed at Ward and she smiles, ‘’after you’’. Coulson nods at Ward who lets the man he’s still got by the throat go, gun still raised just in case.

The Shield agents watch as Camilla kisses Coulson’s cheek and they exchange hellos, seeing the high of a threat is gone Skye sighs in boredom, goes back to her place on the floor. It’s soon clarified that Camilla Reyes is an old friend who is in the army on Peru, helping to protect the country from downfall. After a while Fitzsimmons begin arguing about the best way to take the 0-8-4 out of the wall when Ward comes back in to check for a status update.

Skye replies, ‘’the science babies keep fighting, make them stop’’. No one is amused by this and she wishes Tony were here, he gets her humor. Suddenly Skye feels a shift in the atmosphere, her powers picking up a disturbance in the vibrations all around them, before she can warn anyone they hear tires pull up and someone immediately begins firing at them. Both Skye and Ward jump into action, Quake shoulders the entryway while Ward literally grabs the 0-8-4 out of the wall, ignores Fitz’s shouts of protests and puts it in a containment case.

Quake and Ward may not get along but one thing they’ve learned is they work flawlessly together in a fight, paired with the two of them no one stands a chance. Ward steps out first the three of them behind them as he begins to cover their escape, but the gunfire is too strong and he ushers them back inside. Skye only has a second to process it, how he put himself in danger to protect them, especially Skye who never needs it.

He looks at her now and something in his eyes makes her pause, like she’s discovered another layer of Ward, a protector, someone who’d die to make sure they all left here in one piece. She has no idea if it’s his training or if that’s who he is outside of the office. Whatever the case she reads his expression well, it’s time for her to flaunt her muscles, grinning she steps out into the sweaty air and raises a hand. Bullets shatter and the men threatening them all fly backwards in a powerful wave.

Ward sticks close to her while Fitzsimmons take cover, he suddenly tells her to get down and practically pushes her to the ground, Skye seriously considers biting his hand on her back, when he pulls out a long silver device. Somersaults off the crumbling steps and stabs it in the ground, a ray of blue light fills the air before the armed men are thrown off balance, their guns tossed from their hands. Skye pouts, ‘’I could have easily done that’’.

Rebels, they keep coming and in the process destroy every vehicle except one, which means there’s only one way out. When the smoke clears Coulson says Camilla and her men can hitch a ride on the plane they came in on, ignoring Skye’s comment that they should just leave them behind. On the way back to the plane the SUV is crammed tight with Skye having to sit in Jemma’s lap, Reyes and Coulson are the only ones speaking, it’s obvious they have a past together.

Camilla and her men take up half the room on the plane, every space is practically filled up besides the lab, but Fitzsimmons continue arguing over which tests to run first on the 0-8-4 and Skye would rather listen to Bruce drone on about literally anything than listen to that. Coulson is locked in a bunk with Reyes doing god knows what so Skye ventures up to the lab area with a bottle of scotch, the high of the mission fading, her adrenaline gone.

Ward is sitting on the couch when she walks up the stairs, he too notices how all of Camilla’s men straighten up as she approaches, how they whisper quietly in Spanish to one another as they stare. Used to the whispers, the terrified gazes of men who couldn’t handle her power, Skye heads right for Ward, not going to give these people the satisfaction if she walked out just because they were talking about her.

She’d rather be around Shield’s favorite robot than be by herself right now, loneliness eating at her. Sitting on the table across instead of beside him seems easier, while she still isn’t a fan of Ward that tension is still there, that day at the bar still looms over them even though they try to forget.

‘’If you came here to yell at me’’-

Skye waves him off, ‘’I’m not’’.

A single eyebrow raises, ‘’is this mission really going to end without us fighting? That never happens’’.

‘’There’s a first time for everything’’.

Those whiskey eyes sweep down her frame as she says, ‘’Fitzsimmons like you’’.

‘’They seem to like you too’’.

She half smiles, ‘’everyone does one way or another’’.

‘’What do you mean?’’

She can’t read his expression or tell you why honesty decides then to split her open, why her anger at Ward starts to fade.

‘’Everyone always wants something from me, they pretend to like me either because they’re too afraid or they think smiling is going to get me to take my clothes off’’.

Sympathy swims into his eyes and that’s the last thing she wants, ‘’you protected us back there’’.

Keeping up with her sporadic mind (it hasn’t escaped her notice he’s able to switch gears easily with her) Ward nods, ‘’what else was I supposed to do?’’

‘’I don’t need you to watch my back’’.

‘’I know’’.

‘’Don’t do it again’’.

‘’It’s not about you, it’s part of my training. Don’t flatter yourself’’.

He doesn’t say this unkindly which is why she doesn’t bite off a snarky response.

Quake looks up at the ceiling and sighs, something pushing and pulling at the corner of her mind, telling her to get closer, stop being so closed off around Ward.

‘’We don’t know each other very well’’.

She says still looking up, does not notice the way Ward is studying her.

‘’No we don’t’’.

‘’Is that part of the problem? I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with’’.

‘’It’s not just you, I don’t exactly work well with others’’.

She snorts and looks straight ahead again, ‘’you can say that again’’.

‘’You and I see the world differently is all, but also because we clash, and I’ve always worked alone, never had a partner. It might take a while for me to adjust’’.

The way he says the last part, his jaw clenched slightly like taking too long to adapt is a bad thing, causes her curiosity to spike.

His confession has Quake siting her own, ‘’you aren’t afraid of me’’.

He never was, she knew that the second the locked eyes in the bar.

Puzzled he replies, ‘’why would I be?’’

If there was a mirror on the other side of the wall Skye would be able to see her own reaction, but since she can’t Ward gets the brunt of it. How her entire face lights up with surprise, disbelief, before settling on something tender, a slight warmth in her eyes, he has no idea how to react. No one has ever looked at him like that before, something passes between the pair, something soft though they have no clue why or how, but that anger and bitterness disappears like smoke.

Licking her lips she says, ‘’most people are, you’ve just brushed the surface on what I’m capable of’’.

‘’You’re not this evil thing Skye, you’re pushy, nosy and dramatic but you’re the furthest thing from a monster. Trust me’’.

That night in the bar comes back to her, the feel of his hands on her and how his chest brushed against her own.

Skye passes him the bottle of scotch and decides that actually trying to be his partner will probably be easier than hating him.

‘’I feel like you and me, wrong foot, can I buy you a drink?’’

When he smiles Skye gets a flash of something, as if she’s somewhere else, someone else who has heard this before.

A dark sky before her, a cool breeze and a warm body next to her, the taste of whiskey on her lips.

Clearing the sudden fog in her brain Skye focuses on Ward’s arm as he leans over to grab the bottle.

And she immediately spots a splash of red against his white shirt.

‘’After Simmons patched you up you should have changed your shirt’’.

He doesn’t even glance at the gunshot wound, his attention focused on her hands that have started shaking for some reason.

She’s seen countless wounds like his, even worse most of the time, the sight of blood never affects her.

Until now.

‘’It’s skin deep, nothing to worry about’’.

‘’You got shot protecting us’’.

‘’Anyone would have done the same’’.

‘’Except I’m bulletproof’’.

‘’Could have used that when I was getting shot at’’.

‘’Your sense of humor is literally the worst’’.

‘’People think I’m funny’’.

‘’Your mom doesn’t count’’.

His mother never once told him he was funny, but Skye doesn’t know that.

She takes a long sip of the bottle, ‘’so are you done being pissed?’’

‘’I wasn’t pissed, look I was trained to be the whole solution, to eliminate variables, and today they keep adding up’’.

Skye follows Ward’s gaze over to Camilla’s men who aren’t exactly hiding their dislike of Skye, they also haven’t touched any of their drinks.

Making a tactical decision Skye abandons the table and sits right next to Grant, drapes her legs over his lap. She’s never seen him flustered before but he is now, gapes at her ankles on his knees, his hands in the air like he’s not exactly sure what to do with them. After what must be short circuiting for a second they land respectfully on her shins, the tips of ears pink. Grinning Skye cuddles close her chest pressed against his bicep as she leans into his ear, places both hands on his neck.

‘’Play along’’. He gets the memo and she watches him melt into someone else, someone who wants this attention, a man seemingly so distracted by the beautiful woman in his arms that he doesn’t notice anyone else. His hands drift up her legs and come to rest on her hips, Skye has no idea if she masks her sharp intake of breath, but her fingers tighten on his neck as she whispers, ‘’are you thinking what I’m thinking? Reyes isn’t on our side’’.

His hold loosens and for one split second she doesn’t want him to pull away, this moment to end, he smells like he always does, spice and gunpowder, something sweet that never fails to tug at her chest whenever she inhales. Facing him now pressed so close together she can make out every fleck of golden brown in his eyes, how his stupid hair is still fluffed to perfection even after a fight, Ward glances at her lips more than once.

He feels dangerous in her arms like he could disappear any second and never return, but he’s soft to the touch too. When she gets antsy and starts playing with the hair on the back of his neck as if she’s done so a hundred times before, he unconsciously leans into her hands. They look at each other and the air grows heavy, almost as if it’s too hard to breathe. Oh this is bad, this was not the plan when she threw herself at him, only reason was so these assholes couldn’t hear their conversation.

Grant breaks the tension first when he says, ‘’Skye hand me the bottle’’. Reading what’s about to happen she plays along, ‘’okay Turbo, but you’re still nursing the one you’ve got’’. Readying her body for a fight Skye hands him the alcohol and gestures to the men on the left, a silent confirmation that she’ll take care of them if he gets the ones on the right. At his nod of confirmation they both break off from each other and get off the couch, Ward strikes first since his target is closer.

Takes the scotch and slams the glass in the first guy’s face, Skye grabs the man in front of her and throws him into the coffee table she was just sitting on. Soon Quake and Ward are back to back with less than a handful of enemies between them, it’s an easy win. Until they both look at the monitor on the side panel, the camera feed in the lab showing Fitz and Simmons being threatened by a knife, the message is clear; stand down or they die.

They have no choice but to surrender especially since Skye can’t use her powers on a plane unless she wants the entire thing to go down. Which is how she, Ward and Fitzsimmons end up cable tied tp the cargo door in the bay, Coulson trapped upstairs with the rest of Camilla’s men, there are five guards watching over their small group. Each one of them dead set on Skye since she’s the bigger threat, she already broke their bones with her bare hands when they cuffed her wrists.

‘’This is my fault, I should have learned Kung Fu’’.

Skye rolls her eyes, ‘’if anyone is to blame here it’s me, I’m the strongest person on the planet, I should have protected you guys better’’.

Ward’s arm brushes against hers, ‘’it was my job to make a proper threat assessment, we weren’t ready’’.

‘’You two wouldn’t have had any trouble if we weren’t here’’.

Simmons points out and everyone assures her expect for Skye, ‘’you have a point’’.

‘’Not helping Skye’’.

‘’Okay Mr. Fun Machine, do you have a plan to get us out of this?’’

Ward looks down at Skye’s hands, ‘’there’s a knife in my back pocket, can you reach?’’

Shuffling away from the hard ground she maneuvers her hand towards said pocket while Fitzsimmons keeps a look out.

‘’That’s not my pocket Skye’’.

‘’I can’t exactly see what I’m doing from this angle’’.

‘’Get your hand off my ass’’.

‘’My hand is not on your ass’’.

It actually is but wasn’t on purpose.

Stretching with his back to her Skye leans down as far as she can, her forehead resting against his shoulder.

‘’Don’t be such a prude Agent Ward’’.

‘’Not a prude, just don’t appreciate you using this as an excuse to cop a feel’’.

‘’Oh my god I am not’’.

‘’Can you two talk about this later?’’

Fitz hisses.

Skye grabs the handle of the knife and tells Grant quietly, ‘’besides if my hand was really on your ass, you’d know it’’.

She can’t see him fight off a smile but he can feel hers stretch on the top of his shoulder. Skye has almost pulled the entire thing out when Simmons makes a coughing noise and Ward nudges her away. All five of the guards have started to walk up, they speak rapidly in Spanish to one another, whatever they say has Ward tensing up and suddenly they all make a grab for Quake. Five sets of hands lock around her biceps and legs, lifting her between them in an attempt to separate her from the group.

After a moment of struggle she gets an arm free and punches one of them in the face, they wrench her arm back so hard her shoulder pops out of socket. The crack of the bone snaps as white hot pain enters, Skye hardly cries out, this has happened too many times to count. Gritting her teeth she decides to screw it, use her powers. With a flick of her wrist every person holding her crashes into the steel walls, the plane rocks and buckles but doesn’t fall or falter.

Not wasting any time she runs over to Ward and Fitzsimmons, freeing the Specialist first and then the other two. Grant is already moving as they all decide that Reyes wants the 0-8-4 for herself and that’s why she betrayed them, they have to get to it before she does, however the lab is locked, the doors bolted shut and passcode changed. Ward makes a split decision and decides to drive an SUV into the lab, bypassing the security code entirely.

Skye stands in front of Fitzsimmons just in case and once they’re in the clear the four of them head into the lab as Ward and Skye both agree on a plan. Once it’s perfect he should be in motion already, but instead he places two gentle hands on her arm. ‘’Just do it’’. With her jaw clenched he pops her shoulder back into place, Simmons checks to make sure it’s alright before they move on. The four of them are braced against the wall as Fitz turns on the device remotely, which is upstairs with Coulson.

It causes a giant hole to appear on the side of the plane, the four of them trudge upstairs slowly holding onto one another so they don’t fly out, Skye would survive but no one else would. As soon as they make it to the lobby Camilla’s men start shooting at them, Quake leans around Ward and in less than a second the bullets stop and the man lies lifeless on the ground. Skye stays to take care of any lingering threats while Ward goes with Fitzsimmons to find and turn off the 0-8-4.

It’s over in less than ten minutes, Skye has one guy in a headlock and the other being held off by her powers, all braced against the couch, when everything stops and the hole in the plane is covered by an inflatable raft. Skye knocks out the people in front of her and takes a deep breath, feels if any other threats have decided to make themselves known. It’s quiet, she’s alone in the lobby. Brushing her hair back she races to where Fitzsimmons are, they’re holding onto Ward who’s got his gun pointed at Reyes.

Coulson is on Ward’s other side and asks Skye if she’s alright. Quake walks up to Reyes who is attempting to make some sorry excuse for why she did what she did, pissed and feeling a headache growing Skye punches her in the face, ‘’wrong team bitch’’. Camilla falls to the ground and everyone relaxes a bit, Ward goes to gather up all her men and tie them up together. They’ll drop them off at the Triskelion and Hill can decide how far the punishment goes.

‘’And you said you two didn’t work well together’’. Simmons comments once they’ve landed and Reyes is being shoved into a Shield SUV.

Ward, Coulson and Fitz are all giving a rundown of what happened, while Skye is sitting on the hood of Hill’s car, Simmons standing beside her.

‘’We don’t’’.

‘’Doesn’t look that way to me’’.

‘’We didn’t yell at each other for one mission, big deal’’.

She sighs at Jemma’s expression, ‘’fine, I guess we made up or whatever, I hate him a little less, but that could all change tomorrow. Haven’t you heard? I’m unstable’’.

‘’You are not’’.

‘’People call me a walking disaster, Ward included’’.

‘’They just don’t understand you, I’m sure Agent Ward doesn’t think that anymore’’.

The Avengers always say the same thing when Skye sees the worst in herself, she’s still surprised Jemma feels the same after they’ve only worked together a couple times.

‘’We’ll see I guess. By the way you and Fitz were great today’’.

Jemma smiles, ‘’wow a compliment from Quake herself I’m flattered’’.

‘’You should be, most of the Shield agents I work with are idiots’’.

Fitz and Ward come over to tell them the news that Reyes and her accomplices are being placed under arrest and will await trial with Shield.

‘’I’m starved, anyone want to grab some lunch?’’

Fitz tells them about a pizza place not too far from their location and half an hour later they all end up in a vinyl booth, beer and soda in between them, laughing at Jemma’s poor impression of Nick Fury, and it’s the first time in a long time that Skye has felt okay.

Three nights later after Shield has been slow and she hasn’t heard from Ward, Skye curls up in her sheets and tries to ignore the sweaty body next to her in bed, Rumlow’s breathing is labored and he laughs like a man deeply satisfied. Skye can’t say the same, her mind somewhere else, that feeling she got on the plane with Ward like it was familiar, like somehow they’d been in that spot before. It could be some strange version of déjà vu but it’s been bothering her.

An emptiness stirs in her chest as Rumlow throws an arm around her waist, a poor attempt at cuddling even though he knows she’s not into that. A few more tries of holding her close and Skye shoving him off, Rumlow tosses the comforter covering them both onto the floor and rises from the bed, the chill in the air on her exposed skin causes her to shiver. Skye watches him dress his body language angry, he puts on his underwear and pouts, puts his right leg into cargo pants and calls her a heartless bitch.

This burst of anger is not surprising, he’s got a temper and whenever something doesn’t go his way he pops off, this time it’s directed at her. This started as just sex but he’s been dropping signs lately that he wants more and Skye isn’t interested, she thought he picked up her abhorrence to the idea but apparently not. So she’s a bitch for not wanting to be his girlfriend, he doesn’t even know who she is, the real her, all the monsters that live inside her head.

If he did he’d run away screaming, if he truly saw the black pit in her soul then he’d really have a reason to call her a bitch then. Rumlow finishes dressing and on his way out the door tells her not to contact him again, that he wants nothing to do with her. He’s in the hallway and she’s watching the camera feed on her phone, he kicks the hallway with a steel toed boot, calls her a rather nasty word and she nearly rises from the mattress to punch him in the face.

But she only gets as far as putting one foot on the ground before he’s in the elevator and gone from view. Skye throws her sheets and blanket in the washer before taking a shower, dresses and eats cold pizza from the night before when Bruce and Clint came over. Watches three episodes of Game of Thrones while he bedding dries, considers going to Stark Tower but it’s late and Tony is probably asleep. Nat is probably awake but Quake wouldn’t be able to verbally explain her issue.

She just feels off for some reason, out of balance ever since that conversation with Ward on the plane. Guilt also makes it’s presence known, as if she feels bad for being rude to him since they started working together, but the asshole did kind of deserve it. A small part of her wonders if he’s awake, what he’s doing, if he feels strange now just like she does. Thinks about calling him but then realizes how weird that would be, they’re not friends, she just stopped hating him seventy two hours ago.

In the end she winds up in bed alone at four a.m. her Daenerys Targaryen throw blanket offering the only comfort. The last thing on her mind is the way Ward looked at her on the plane, like they’d had that exact moment once before.

_Achingly familiar fingers curled on her hip, soft lips lingering on her thigh, a warm palm sliding down her ribcage before settling on the back of her knee, pulling her as close as can be but Skye wants to be closer, to dig inside this person’s chest and carve a home for herself in their heart. Brown eyes look up at her, the face is blurred and unrecognizable, the body resting against her own is nothing but flesh and muscle but something about it feels like home, like safety._

_As if she could stay forever in this embrace and not care about a thing, even if the entire world was on fire as long as she was cradled by these arms so tight around her, nothing else would matter. Lips drift up her body before settling on the shell of her ear, breath drifting across her neck making her shiver, ‘’I love you’’. The voice is muddled, muted, but Skye’s hands drift up his back and hold onto his shoulders, ‘’I love you too’’._

_A smile against her skin and then he’s kissing her, even as he begins to move his hands never leave her, still keeping her safe and tucked against him, as if he’s afraid someone is going to try to take her from him, steal this moment and cause them nothing but pain. Skye buries her face in his shoulder and clings to him, this feeling of being so loved but another human being the rest of the planet fades to nothing. Because all that matters is right here in her arms, nothing else is important._

Skye wakes to sweat on her brow and a shiver wracking her body, tries to calm her breathing as the walls of the penthouse begin to shake. Knowing the Avengers monitor earthquake activity closely, someone should be calling soon and the last thing she wants to do is wake someone up because of her antics. Question after question spills into her brain, who was in the dream? Why did it feel so real? Why can she still picture his hands on her hips, what the hell was that?

Something in the back of her mind keeps pulling, like she knows who the person that starred in her dream is, attempting to think back to the face she tries to grab at the skin and bone but comes up with nothing. Chopping it up to lack of sleep she shelves it and hopes it fades with time as most dreams do. Takes another shower this time cold, but the images won’t leave, the feeling that something is off and wrong. 

So when Natasha calls Skye tells her how she’s felt since the conversation with Ward and what happened with Rumlow. Leaves out the dream, it could have been some weird sex one since Rumlow didn’t do a great job earlier. She finally calms down after Nat says it could be stress related but if she truly thinks something is wrong to make an appointment with a doctor, therapist, or both. Romanoff stays on the phone with her until she falls back asleep.

But when she wakes the next morning it’s still there, this sudden blank emptiness like something is wrong within her vey soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way I am updating the fic “But Your Lips Hang Heavy Underneath Me” with a new chapter soon, if anyone was interested.
> 
> I loved everything about this chapter, I'm going to do a couple more based off the episodes in season 1 mainly because that's kind of where this plot takes place, and I miss Team Bus.
> 
> Also if anyone was curious, yes, I am going to add Skye into the Black Widow movie when it does eventually come out.
> 
> And originally I was going to make Skye and Ward hate each other for another 6 chapters but honestly, that seemed too exhausting and we al know Ward fell in love with her the second he saw her, so. Also I miss them being soft and in love, I was already tired of the angst (more to come on that later.) So if their sudden cease fire in this chapter seemed kinda rushed, that's why.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!


	9. They Whisper In the Hallway, ''She's A Bad, Bad Girl''

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant starts making a plan about how to handle Skye and the Avengers, he meets Iron Man, and he and Skye continue to try to work together, they have a mission with Brock Rumlow, drama ensues.

Here’s the thing about manipulating someone; you have to know what they like, what they want, the perfect thing to say that’ll make them trust you, they have to believe every single word that spills out of your mouth. To do that requires focus, you watch and wait, study their movements, facial expressions, how often they twitch, if they have any tells, what it looks like when a lie stumbles past their lips. You have to know what will make them melt in between your fingers.

For Ward that’s never been an issue thanks to John and his training, Grant can observe someone for a few moments, open his mouth, and take whatever he wants. Both Shield and Garrett take advantage of this gift as often as possible, Ward has lost count on how many times his face and body have been used for someone else’s gain, it doesn’t bother him. This is what he has to do in order to save the only person who has ever given a damn about him, everything else is irrelevant.

The woman in front of him currently is playing directly into Ward’s hands and she doesn’t even know it, thinks she holds the cards here, that he is going to slip his tongue in her mouth and beg for it. Because that’s exactly what he wants her to believe, what Garrett wants. Sydney Reynolds sits across from him in a red dress with matching sharp fingernails, blonde hair splayed in waves down her shoulders, pale skin glowing under the soft lights of the restaurant.

Sydney is a scientist who is on John’s list, she’d be a great asset for the Centipede Program they’re running, another attempt to save Garrett’s life. Grant’s job is to get her to agree to come work for them by whatever means necessary, his attention is solely focused on her and nothing else. Except for a tiny voice in the back of his mind that he can’t for the life of him get to shut up, that he’d rather be in someone else’s company.

Would rather hear another laugh, see another smile, stare into a another set of eyes. Would rather experience a glare directed his way than Sydney’s dark gaze undressing him every two minutes. This has never happened before and he can’t understand why a part of him wants Skye here instead, hell he doesn’t even like her. Sure they called a ceasefire last week on the mission in Peru but that doesn’t mean he can all of a sudden tolerate her presence or turn a blind eye to her massive faults. Skye the most annoying and self-absorbed person he’s ever met, she’s loud and crude, violent.

Quake loves a fight entirely too much, would rather use her fists instead of words something he understands probably better than anyone, but she takes it to another level. She’s obnoxious and exhausting, her mood swings would give Kebo a run for his money, not to mention she has no respect for the way Shield works or following orders. Why the hell anyone thought her becoming his partner was a good idea, he can’t figure out.

They see the world differently which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, they just don’t mix well, especially with this Agent Grant Ward cover he’s been sporting for years now. The Shield version of Grant isn’t a Quake fan, but somewhere deep down maybe the real man he is (whoever that could be) doesn’t mind her. A small bit of Ward is soft towards the woman with earthquake powers, that moment on the plane where they shared a bottle of whiskey and she was pressed so close to him, made the world stop.

Like she was all that mattered to him in that moment, her hair between his finger, lips at his ear, Ward found himself wanting to clutch her closer, soothe whatever war was inside her chest with his arms. He had this fierce desire to protect her, Ward has never felt that way ever about someone else. Not the marks in a hotel room he feeds lies to, not the women he picks up at bars that he never sees again. It’s like she’s this itch in the back of his skull, he tries to ignore it but it never stops, never gives up.

He can’t ask anyone about it either, what this means, why Skye has affected him this way even though she stills annoys the shit out of him. Quake clearly has a death wish, she’s wild and untamed, unafraid seemingly of everything, she’s a mystery wrapped up in a blood red colored package, sharp edges and tied up with a prickly bow. Ward would risk breaking his skin open until his fingers are dripping scarlet to see inside her chest, to learn what her demons are and how to exorcise them.

Which is obviously a problem for multiple reasons, Garrett being a big one. If he even got a hint that Skye would be a become a distraction or weakness for Grant, he’d kill her. Would probably make Ward himself pull the trigger, in all honesty if he had to do it, he would. It may bother him a little more than it usually would but if it came down to her or John, he’d pick John. Though killing Quake would be impossible, she’s the strongest person on the planet, could wipe the floor with him if it came down to it.

Pulling his brain back to into focus he takes a sip of water and nods when Sydney makes a comment about her lab, pretends like he’s interested. The waiter arrives with their food and her constant chatter is finally silenced when she shovels an oyster smothered in wine sauce in her mouth. Half an hour later he’s sealed the deal, his hand is atop hers over the thick tablecloth, she’s smiling her eyes dark, nails drawing patters into his knuckles, it’s supposed to be seductive.

She makes some offhand comment about her apartment being nearby which isn’t a coincidence at all to him, and the night passes in a blur he forgets as soon as they fall asleep.

_The air in the room is cold against his bare shoulders as he sits up in bed, the sheets pool at his waist before drifting down to tangle with the comforter. Sweat clings to chest and eyelids, a reaction to a dream he can no longer remember, the details drifting away from his brain like smoke. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Ward prefers to forget the horrors of a nightmare than to relive it when he wakes up._

_Before the panic can settle in between his ribs, before he can hyperventilate and his lungs give out, a hand runs down his spine, the fingers comforting, soothing, in ways that nothing else ever has. They run up the length of his back, cup his neck and drift through his hair before repeating the process all over again, the growing anxiety he felt just moments ago flees with every stroke of her palm. Rubbing his eyes, Ward gets up and mutters that he’s taking a shower, the wood floor like ice against his feet._

_Grant turns to the sleepy form in bed, her dark hair fanning around the pillow, brown eyes looking up at him with concern. He can’t make out her face, the edges are blurry, the colors muted. But something about her feels familiar and he tries to grasp the edges of this picture. But all he can put together are brown eyes and long hair, this voice in the back of his mind tells him she’s safety, a lighthouse in the dark storm that once was his life._

_He can’t see her face but he can recount every single detail of her body, how she feels in his arms, the different types of smiles and laughs for her different moods, the way she says his name in a private moment. Ward can tell you her favorite food and that she prefers coffee over tea, that she’s allergic to coconut and hates cats. But for the life of him he couldn’t tell you her name, just that she feels like home and she holds his heart inside her hands._

_After a hot shower he returns to their bedroom to find the sheets and comforter have been stripped off the mattress, he can hear the washing machine running in the other room. A white cable knit blanket and fresh sheets take their place, she sits in the middle of it all staring up at him in worry as he approaches the bed. Reaching out, Grant already knows how soft her hair will be when he runs his fingers through it, how she’ll lean into his touch and kiss his hand._

_‘’Bad dream?’’_

_Her voice sounds like she’s underwater, muffled and difficult to hear but he answers all the same._

_‘’Yeah, I’m alright’’._

_He joins her in the soft cocoon of their bed, wraps his arms around her._

_She always smells like vanilla and he breathes her in._

_‘’Do you want to talk about it?’’_

_‘’I can’t remember what it was about, did I wake you up? I’m sorry’’._

_She runs a hand up his arm, ‘’you don’t have to apologize’’._

_He still can’t quite kick the habit that says he should always be apologizing for something._

_Glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand it’s three a.m. and he lays down against the pillows, dragging her body on top of him._

_She curls into his chest, ‘’you know what would make you feel better? Sex’’._

_He laughs, knows that was her intention and kisses the top of her head._

_Before he can respond her lips are trailing down his jaw, his chest and he threads his fingers through her hair._

_‘’I love you’’._

_Feels her smile against his ribcage, ‘’I love you too’’._

_Moments later he doesn’t even remember what woke him in the first place._

Ward opens his eyes and shivers at the ice temperature of the room, his nose is cold and he rolls over in bed, seeking out the warmth that should always be there. Fingers reaching across the sheets he meets skin and bone, a spine underneath his nails. Trails his hand down the curve of her back to clutches her hip, she sighs and begins to soften, melt underneath his wandering touch. It takes a second for the fog to clear, the dream to disappear and leave him confused.

Because the hair in between his fingertips isn’t as soft as it should be. The hands that reach for him don’t hold him right, the skin too rough. Grant wakes fully at the feel of her against him and he’s confused at first, wonders why she’s hot and not cold, because he’s supposed to warm her up and receive a gentle smile in response, something feels off.

Opens his eyes to find Sydney watching him with a satisfied look on her face, her skin on full display as she kicks off the silk sheets they slept on. Checking the watch on his wrist it’s five a.m. and he should be gone by now. Declining the offer Sydney so clearly is putting out, Ward dresses and apologizes quickly, says he’ll check in soon and the Clairvoyant can’t wait to meet with her. He nearly trips on his way to get out, his head a little fuzzy and heart beating unsteady.

By the time he makes it to his apartment he has a few hours to get ready for the day before he’s required to check into the Triskelion. After his daily workout at the gym downstairs he showers and checks his watch, time to go. The drive to Garrett’s favorite breakfast spot is met with light traffic but he still manages to make it before his former SO. Gets a booth in the back in full view of the front and back doors, he can see everyone in this small diner. 

The dream still lingers no matter how hard he tries to shake it off, shove it in a box and seal it tight with duct tape. Body won’t stop humming with the need to figure out who the mystery woman was and why it felt like he finally found the place where he belongs in her arms. The rational part of him says it was only a dream and it doesn’t mean anything, his training says he needs to get his head in the game, and John’s voice in his ears says to brush it off and focus on the mission at hand.

After a cup of coffee and using every training tactic he’s ever learned, the smell of vanilla finally leaves his memory, as does the feel of soft hands resting on the back of his neck. The craving though to bask in the safety she gave him, how she calmed the storm that’s always been raging in his blood, that doesn’t leave. Something inside him longs to find her, to get lost in her skin and hide away from the world, from what’s coming. 

Ward also doesn’t understand his confusion this morning, mistaking Sydney for the woman in his dream, Grant always wakes up alert and ready no matter what. It was as if he was trapped between two worlds and his brain didn’t know which one he was supposed to be in, but his body did. Every inch of his skin wanted to stay wherever she was, follow her down into hell if he had to. That tugging in his veins, to go to her, refuses to be pushed aside.

Taking a deep breath, he orders John a fresh cup of coffee when the man himself walks in. Schooling his expression to neutral because Garrett will pick up if something is even partially wrong, he watches the only father figure he’s ever known take a seat across from him. Ward observes him carefully, checking for any discomfort, any pain that could cause alert, finds none. Relief enters him quickly when his examine ends, the terror in his brain evaporates, for the moment.

The fact that John is dying never leaves him, he never forgets for a second why he’s here, what the goal is. 

‘’Morning son’’.

‘’Morning’’.

‘’Have a good night last night?’’

‘’Yes sir’’.

John grins into his steaming coffee mug, ‘’that’s my boy, I’m expecting her call this afternoon’’.

‘’She’ll call’’.

Garrett raises an eyebrow, the expression familiar, ‘’so was she good?’’

Ward feels nothing when he replies, ‘’she was fine’’.

‘’Oh come on that’s all I get? Give me details kid’’.

John isn’t asking because he wants an inside look at Grant’s sex life, he’s asking because he’s growing old and can’t pull a woman in her twenties anymore.

Ward indulges him as quietly as he can, is careful to spill details but not disrespect Sydney in any way.

‘’Is she going to be a problem if you two run into each other?’’

Ward waits for the waitress to take their food order before replying, ‘’of course not’’.

‘’Good’’.

They talk about Shield for a while and Grant is wondering when John is going to bring up Skye because there’s no way he doesn’t know about her, even though this is the first time they’ve spoken since she became his partner. Garrett is sipping from a glass of water and Grant is looking out the windows for any kind of threats, when his SO broaches the subject. 

‘’So how do you like your partner?’’

Grant answers honestly, ‘’from a Specialist standpoint she’s good to have in a fight, Skye is probably the most powerful person on the planet besides Thor’’.

‘’And from your own personal standpoint?’’

This sudden urge to sweep Skye away from this conversation enters Ward, like he wants to hold her to his chest and cover her ears, protect her from John’s beady eyes.

It takes too long to form an answer, something Garrett notices. 

‘’I’ve heard stories about Quake, everyone says she’s a crazy bitch. Is that true?’’

Grant takes a long sip of coffee to postpone his answer, knows what he should say.

That Garrett is expecting him to agree with the statement, a month ago he would have. But that moment on the plane comes back to him, the way Skye touched him, how gentle her gaze was when they locked eyes. The way she held the alcohol out to him and her comment about buying him a drink stood out, made him pause. Because it felt like they’d been there before, as if they’d had that same conversation, shared that same moment somewhere else. 

Grant isn’t a believer in the universe or things happening the same way twice, but for whatever reason in that single space of a second, it felt like they were repeating something. As if they were two actors in a play with no script and doomed to fall down an unknown rabbit hole together like they’d done so before. When the day was over and he was in his apartment all alone he couldn’t shake the feeling off, couldn’t wash away the weight of her hand on his face.

Slapping on a smirk Ward finally replies, ‘’she has issues but I can count on her in a fight’’.

‘’I bet she could wipe the floor with you’’.

The smirk turns arrogant, ‘’I wouldn’t say that’’.

John cuts into his banana pancakes and points at the whole wheat ones on Ward’s plate, ‘’you don’t have to pull that shit with me you know’’.

Grant’s favorite pancakes are pumpkin flavored, John knows this.

‘’You know the rules of deep cover operations just like I do’’.

Garrett laughs aloud, ‘’you’re something else Grant’’.

He’s wondering if that’s a good or bad thing when John moves again to Skye, ‘’you need to be careful around her’’.

‘’Sir?’’

‘’She’s powerful, that makes her dangerous. If she finds out what we’re really up to well I don’t need to tell you how she’d react’’.

‘’She isn’t loyal to Shield at all sir, I get the impression she only sticks around for Romanoff and Stark. If this ends up how we think I don’t believe she’d care’’.

‘’Quake could bring down this entire operation on our heads, you need to find out who she really is and just where her loyalties lie’’.

‘’Of course sir, that was my plan anyway’’.

‘’Is she close with our friend Phil?’’

‘’She doesn’t hate him, which is saying a lot for her’’.

‘’I’ve arranged for you to be on more missions involving Coulson, you and Quake will work with his team so you can gather intel’’.

‘’Yes sir’’.

John leans in closer and cups the coffee mug with both hands, ‘’I don’t need to remind you how important this is’’.

‘’Of course not’’.

‘’I have new orders for you about Quake, something she’ll enjoy I’m sure. Get close to her by whatever means necessary’’.

Grant doesn’t hesitate in nodding.

‘’We need that bitch blinded so she doesn’t suspect anything about you, why you’re really with Shield’’.

‘’Okay’’.

A plan is already forming on just how to do that and Garrett smiles, tells him to share.

‘’Skye is damaged goods, she wants someone strong to save her from herself, she’s looking for a hero’’.

Ward noticed it from the get go, how something inside her was longing for a body to help soothe the pain in her soul, if Ward was someone else, he’d say he could relate to that.

‘’Yeah you play the White Knight role pretty well’’.

‘’It would be easy, earn her trust, get her to relate to me. I could tell her about my family, gain sympathy and get her to open up. Show how vulnerable she is and exploit it’’.

Ward has done that exact thing multiple times, this conversation is clinical, simple and easy as if they’re discussing the weather.

It normally doesn’t bother him, so why does this leave a bad taste in his mouth?

‘’You think she’ll fall for that?’’

Ward glances out the windows, ‘’how can she not? I’m trained to be everyone’s type’’.

John grins, ‘’this is one of those times I’m grateful I bailed you out when you were fifteen’’.

He has no idea just how much that means to Grant. 

‘’She won’t be a problem John, I promise you’’.

He never breaks a promise to John, ever, which is why the other man nods and the stress falls off his shoulders.

He’s always had faith in Ward because he trained him to be exactly what he needs, just like everyone else.

‘’And what about her precious Avengers?’’

‘’I have a plan for them too. When Skye comes to care about me they will too, they’ll be blinded just like her’’.

‘’The Black Widow isn’t some starry eyed woman that’ll fall for your cheekbones’’.

‘’If she believes that my intentions for Skye are good she won’t suspect a thing. I’m not worried about it’’.

‘’Good then I won’t be either’’.

‘’Tony Stark and Bruce Banner could also get us what we need, I’ll play that angle as well’’.

‘’Do that and report back to me’’.

‘’Yes sir’’.

When breakfast is over and Ward is driving to the Triskelion he’s thinking about what he has to do, his brain at war with his heart. He can talk about how easy it’ll be all day, but a strong part of him is screaming not to do it. Not to trap Skye in this web John is weaving and he doesn’t understand why, she is worth nothing to him meanwhile John is everything. So why is it even a question? Why did his hands shake underneath the table when he told Garrett about his plans?

Why is the woman with earthquake powers in her hands on his mind at all? Why do his very bones protest to this plan when he owes her nothing? He owes John his entire life, Skye holds no purpose other than getting Ward and Garrett what they want. So why is it that whenever he pictures the dream now he sees her face? Pictures her hands on his back, her voice in his ear, there’s something pulling him in her direction and not John’s.

But he has to go through with this plan, if not the alternative is John’s death and there’s no way in hell he’s ever going to let that happen. While at a stop light he starts shaping ideas in his head, ignoring the voice in his brain that’s telling him to stop, and knows exactly how he’s going to play this. Sex can be used as a weapon if Ward desires, he can get a woman to do whatever with a touch of his hand. He can be whatever Skye needs him to be, a protector, a savior, someone to lean on and cry to.

Someone to come home to at the end of a long day and put her feet in his lap, someone to hold her hair back when she’s throwing up, to cook her breakfast and wash her hair in the shower. A partner in the field and out, a lover who understand her better than anyone ever has before. He could be the missing piece to her puzzle, the man of her dreams, all he has to do is make that connection. Plant the seeds and watch them grow until she is completely and totally his.

He parks the SUV in the parking garage and molds himself into the Agent his been for years, he’s getting his Shield badge out when a question comes to mind that he has no answer for. When he was describing what Skye would want in a partner, was he explaining what she wants, or what he truly wants? No matter how hard he tries to push that one into a box, it never complies.

After checking in and putting his bag in a locker and listening to every male agent tease him about teaming up with Quake, that she’s insane and she’ll kill him by the end of the month, he walks into the training room where Skye has been for the past hour. The first thing he notices is that she isn’t alone, Tony Stark is sitting on a bench behind her as she beats the shit out of a punching bag, playing on his phone and occasionally adding bits of commentary. 

Though Stark is a consultant for Shield their paths have never crossed, the only Avengers Ward has interacted with are the Black Widow and Captain America, they’ve worked together a few times. Stark and Quake both look up when he enters the room and shuts the door, Skye hardly gives him a second of her attention before going back to her workout. Stark however perks up and tugs at the headphones nestled in Skye’s ear, she swats him away and continues.

He's heard Quake is basically the Avengers’ love child, time to test that theory.

‘’Agent Ward I’m assuming’’.

Grant reaches out and shakes the hand Tony offers, ‘’yes sir, good to meet you Mr. Stark’’.

Iron Man is dressed in an immaculate three-piece suit with shiny Italian loafers, seeming so out of place in this room that’s drenched in sweat.

‘’So you’re the tool that’s been working with my Quake’’.

Brushing the insult off Ward steps back, ‘’yes sir’’.

‘’Why are you here? You interrupted my time with one of my favorite people’’.

‘’We have a mission sir’’.

‘’You look very thrilled about that’’.

‘’I am’’. Ward deadpans, sees Skye roll her eyes.

‘’Are you? I can’t tell by your facial expression’’.

Not in the mood for his antics that are so similar to Skye’s he asks, ‘’is there something I can do for you?’’

‘’Skye was right, you are a moody asshole’’.

‘’Is she making you confront me on her behalf?’’

Stark barks out a laugh, ‘’it’s funny that you think anyone could make me do anything’’.

‘’Oh I think Skye could get you to do anything she wanted’’.

Stark pulls out his phone, ‘’ ‘’I did some research on you’’.

This makes him sit up a little more, this is Tony Stark we’re talking about here, he could unearth everything Garrett has ever buried about him.

‘’Grant Douglas Ward, you come from a political family’’.

‘’Skye already showed off her skills in finding out where I’m from and how deep I am with Shield, so I won’t be impressed with your gloating’’.

A fond smile lights Stark’s face, ‘’yeah I’m sure she did. Did she also tell you that you have the whitest name ever?’’

‘’It was mentioned’’.

‘’It looks like you two are going to be partnered up for a while’’.

‘’Do you have a problem with that?’’

‘’I won’t if you keep her safe’’.

‘’I’m pretty sure Skye can take care of herself’’.

‘’I don’t know if you noticed but Skye has a tendency to go off the deep end more often than not’’.

‘’It didn’t escape my attention, no’’.

Stark sighs, ‘’and you’ve never had a partner before, if I remember correctly you prefer to work alone’’.

‘’Is there a point to this conversation Mr. Stark?’’

Tony searches his face, it’s the empty blank mask that’s always on display for the world to see.

‘’Specialists aren’t known to be warm and cuddly’’.

‘’No, we prefer to sleep alone at night’’.

‘’Is it that way with everyone or just you?’’

Ward sighs, ‘’if you’re really threatening me over your precious Quake you’re going to have to do better than that’’.

‘’What are your intentions with my daughter?’’

Ward nearly laughs and has to bite his gums, ‘’I have no intentions with Quake trust me’’.

Stark crosses his arms, ‘’cut the shit Agent Ward, Skye is brilliant and beautiful, most people would try to take advantage of that’’.

‘’Pretty sure Skye wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of her’’.

Sadness flashes in Iron Man’s eyes, ‘’you’d be surprised’’.

‘’Look Mr. Stark if you have a problem with me take it up with Maria Hill’’.

‘’You know what? I just might’’.

‘’Great’’.

Tony takes a step to Ward, his posture threatening, ‘’if you hurt her, I swear to god I’ll break something’’.

He gestures to Ward’s arms who keeps his face empty, ‘’you can certainly try. Look if it’s any consolation I wouldn’t do anything to put her in harm’s way’’.

‘’You better not, not only would you have me to deal with you’d have every single Avenger on your ass, and I don’t recommend pissing off Bruce Banner’’.

Grant isn’t intimidated in the slightest, he’s stared into the face of his brother and John Garrett, can’t think of anything worse.

‘’I think you’ve made your point Tony’’.

Skye chimes in, her arms gleaming with sweat.

He tries and fails not to notice the exposed skin of her stomach, something she spots and grins at.

‘’You’ll probably make him short circuit with your feelings’’.

Stark eyes him with a narrowed gaze as Skye joins his side, ‘’I don’t need you to defend me’’.

He sighs and wraps an arm around her shoulder, ‘’I can’t help but worry about you Cupcake’’.

‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’Even after what happened last’’-

Quake covers his mouth with her hand, clearly not wanting Ward to know anything about the subject.

‘’I think it’s time for you to leave now’’.

Tony scoffs after she removes her hand, ‘’fine, I can see when I’m not wanted’’.

He hugs her goodbye and turns to Ward, threatens him one more time before leaving the room.

Throws a towel at Ward’s face, he catches it and comments, ‘’I don’t think your dad likes me very much’’.

She glances away from her water bottle, ‘’my dad is dead Ward’’.

He grows flustered under her puzzled gaze, not used to not having the upper hand in a conversation, especially one he was so confident about, when Skye grins suddenly.

‘’Relax Rambo I’m just screwing with you. Let me shower and we can go up to Satan’s office together’’.

‘’Hill really isn’t that bad’’.

‘’Says you. At least she doesn’t tell you you’re insane every other day’’.

After she showers they’re walking to Maria Hill’s office who has a mission for them, when Skye stops at one of the few kiosks that provides coffee. She orders and whenever the clerk asks how she’d like it made, Ward opens his mouth to respond and then immediately closes it. Because he shouldn’t know how to doctor her coffee, she’s never told him nor drank it around him, but for some reason he knows exactly how she takes it. Milk, sugar, and a hint of hazelnut flavored cream. 

‘’What’s wrong with you?’’

Ward can feel her confused eyes on his face so he switches his expression to empty, ‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’You look like you’re about to start crying’’.

‘’I do not’’.

‘’Do I need to get a can of oil to pour on you so you’ll start to function normally again?’’

‘’Hilarious’’.

He takes the paper cup of coffee and hands it to her, ignores how when her fingers brush his that dream starts demanding all his focus again.

They’re walking to the elevators when she says, ‘’did you know your apartment is thirteen minutes away from mine?’’

He did.

‘’How do you know where I live?’’

A shrug is his only response.

When they join the small crowd to get on the elevator everyone takes notice of Skye and shifts away like she’s the plague. 

He’s noticed that before but now stores it in his brain to use for later.

Skye sighs loudly and yells, ‘’you know I’m feeling especially murder-y today, I hope no one pisses me off’’.

The agents take a wider step back, a few put their hands on their guns and Ward pinches the bridge of his nose as Quake laughs under her breath.

When the elevator comes they get on it alone, everyone else preferring a space she does not occupy.

He’s answering a text from Antoine Triplett when he notices Skye pull out a large bottle from her black bag.

Skye takes the bottle of Caramel Irish Liquor and pours it into her coffee, stirs it with her finger for a moment before hissing in pain.

‘’It’s seven in the morning’’.

‘’So? I’m not driving’’.

‘’You can’t be under the influence during’’-

‘’Relax Douglas there isn’t even enough in here to get me buzzed’’.

‘’That’s not the point’’.

She holds the hot beverage out to him, ‘’maybe you should drink this, it’ll loosen you up’’.

‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’That’s debatable, you know it can’t be healthy for one person to be so high strung’’.

‘’Don’t worry about me’’.

She takes a long sip, ‘’maybe you just need to get laid’’.

The tips of his ears heat and he is annoyed by the reaction, no one gets under his skin like this.

‘’Maybe you should mind your own business’’.

‘’All I’m saying is it’ll probably get the stick out of your ass’’.

By the time they reach Hill’s office Ward finds himself arguing with Quake loudly, somehow they always end up here. Her doing something stupid that bothers him to the point of losing his patience. She’s yelling about what an uptight asshole he is when Hill opens her office door and cocks her head to the side, Grant stops almost immediately but Skye finishes telling him what a son of a bitch he is. He can’t exactly argue with that comment. 

Maria asks if there’s a problem and they both shake their heads, walk into her blue and white office that’s clean and full of non-personal items. Skye lays down on top of Maria’s conference table and ignores the order to get off, uses her bag as a pillow and watches as Ward takes the seat near her head. Grant hopes for just a second that the coffee she continues to drink spills on her, but it’s quickly dismissed when Hill starts speaking.

Grant listens attentively while Quake makes comments here and there about how boring this new mission sounds, she tenses however when it’s mentioned that Brock Rumlow will be joining them this time. Curious, Ward files that to reflect on later and soaks in every detail Hill gives them, is already making a plan to finish this efficiently and get out safely, adds Skye into it and knows she’s going to cause trouble, she always does. 

This is a rescue mission, a few Shield agents were captured in Zambia and they need to be extracted quietly and without fuss. Hill sends him the coordinates and the rest of the details while Skye lies there with her eyes closed as if sleeping, hand resting over her stomach. She asks which other agents will be involved on the mission in case she hates them, and then Hill’s door opens, the person walking in surprising Grant. 

Captain America enters the room wearing his signature suit, this time it’s a shade darker, a stealth suit, his famous shield hung on his back. Blue eyes zero in on Skye who sits up and scrambles off the table with a smile, ‘’hope you don’t mind if I tag along, I know you don’t hate me Skye’’. She nearly knocks Hill over with her attempt to race towards Steve, he hugs her tightly and Quake clings to him like it’s been years since they’ve seen each other.

Grant observes this with interest for more reasons than one, he has to study the bonds that tie the Avengers together yes, but part of him marvels at the family Skye has. How much they all care about her, worry about her safety, Ward has no idea what that feels like. No one but John has ever cared if he lived or died, no one has ever hugged him like that. Love is obvious in Skye and Steve’s expression, Ward doesn’t know what that feels like, no one has ever even told him they loved him before.

He’s wondering if the tie between Skye and Steve is platonic or something else, when Captain America turns to him, one arm around Skye’s waist.

‘’Agent Ward good to see you again’’.

‘’Captain’’.

They shake hands and Skye crinkles her nose, tells Steve in French, _‘’don’t be nice to him’’._

Rogers smiles, _‘’he speaks French’’._

Skye narrows her eyes at Ward. ‘’how many languages do you speak?’’

‘’Six’’.

‘’Why?’’

Before he can reply Captain America steers the conversation back to the mission, ‘’the jet is up when you’re ready’’.

He looks to Skye who takes a sip of her coffee, ‘’you owe me dinner after this’’.

‘’Of course’’.

After Hill gives them the rendezvous time they head out to the jet, where Rumlow is waiting.

Ward doesn’t like the look he gives Skye. 

‘’They didn’t tell me you’d be here’’.

‘’Don’t start’’.

Steve gives Rumlow a look that says to tread carefully while Skye drains the rest of her coffee and throws the paper cup at the other agent.

‘’Listen I can put my emotions aside and get the job done, can you?’’

Oh, they’ve slept together at some point, he can tell now by the expression on Rumlow’s face it clearly didn’t end well.

Steve tells him now is not the time and to be respectful but Skye lets it roll off her back, he notices that about her, nothing fazes her.

Quake walks into the jet and says over her shoulder, ‘’Rumlow your mouth is only good for one thing and it isn’t talking’’.

For some reason the comment makes Ward itch.

Skye and Steve spend the entire quin jet ride secluded in the back talking amongst themselves, leaving Ward and Rumlow alone with each other, they’ve never worked together, have only seen one another in passing. Grant has no reason to like or dislike the other man, but right now he’s leaning towards the latter and it has nothing to do with his plans for Skye. They sit in silence which Grant has no problem with, is used to the noise when Rumlow speaks up.

‘’How do you deal with that broad all day?’’

Ward doesn’t look at him, ‘’excuse me?’’

‘’Come on man you have to know how insane that woman is, there’s something wrong with her’’.

‘’If you’re looking for someone to complain about your relationship with my partner, it’s not me’’.

‘’We didn’t have a relationship’’.

‘’It’s none of my business’’.

‘’All I’m saying is keep one eye open whenever you’re around Quake, she could stop your heart with a flick of her wrist’’.

‘’I’ll keep that in mind’’.

‘’You know she just uses people? Pretends she cares and then tosses them aside’’.

Ward would say the same about himself, that’s all he’s done for years now.

‘’Did you not understand a second ago when I said I wasn’t the person to complain to?’’

Rumlow ignores him, ‘’I swear the Black Widow trained all the life out of that girl, she’s nothing but a cold heartless bitch. Ten bucks says she screws up this mission’’.

The urge to defend her rises up, Ward can’t say he agrees with Rumlow’s comment.

Because he’s seen a softer side of Skye, on a plane her palm cradling his face, she’s not a monster.

‘’You know she got into a fight last week with Agent Morse over nothing. We were all at the bar doing shots, Skye walked in and freaked out when Bobbi ate a lemon, threw a fit over it. She does shit like that all the time, just pops off on people for no reason, attacks anyone who looks at her the wrong way’’.

Rumlow claps Ward on the shoulder when they land, ‘’thanks for listening man’’.

He doesn’t respond, just walks off the jet annoyed already with this entire situation.

The field is no place for personal drama, if you bring your emotions out on a mission it could mean the difference between life and death, and Ward has no desire to die today over Skye’s sex life.

The four of them map out the area teeming with trees and wildlife under the cover of the jet, Ward notices how tightly pressed Skye stays to Steve’s side and it’s got him curious, is she afraid of Rumlow? He can’t imagine her being scared of anything let alone that asshole, has she truly not seen Cap in a while and she’s just missed him? It isn’t until they’re all getting into position that he realizes the problem; he wishes Skye were clinging to him instead, and he wants to protect her from Rumlow.

The hostages are being held in a facility that makes clothes hangers, it’s a large warehouse with multiple floors, Ward goes in first to do recon and to see how many targets they have to eliminate. The building is nearly pitch black inside but after a few minutes and thanks to Stark’s technology, he finds the Shield agents. In a storage closet with private security holding them at gun point. The entire building is covered with guards who each have at least two guns on them. 

Relaying this info to the rest of the team Grant gets in position and waits for Steve to give the all clear, Skye slides up next to him and runs a hand through her hair. 

‘’Why do you wear a gun holster across your chest?’’

‘’Because it’s efficient’’.

She gags at the word, ‘’god you really are a robot’’.

He shushes her and she smacks him on the arm, ‘’don’t shush me’’.

‘’Stop talking’’.

‘’Don’t tell me what to do’’.

He leans down closer to her ear, ‘’there are men with guns all around us, do you really want to alert them that we’re here?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Relax Turbo I wouldn’t purposely ruin your mission’’.

‘’I find that hard to believe’’.

‘’What is that supposed to mean?’’

‘’Bringing your personal life into the field is stupid and irresponsible, you need to learn to leave it behind when you’’-

‘’Are you seriously trying to lecture me right now? Screw you, I know exactly how this shit works and I don’t need you of all people to remind me’’.

‘’Maybe you should start acting like it then’’.

‘’Maybe I should punch you in the face, repeatedly’’.

Ward leans down even further so the tip of his nose brushes her hair, and he plants the first seed, ‘’you can try’’.

Adds a bit of teasing into his tone so she doesn’t get suspicious, like he had a complete personality change in the last twenty seconds.

She looks up at him her hair blowing in the breeze, ‘’I would absolutely destroy you’’.

He smirks, just a tiny one and her eyes grow glow when he replies, ‘’that’s probably true’’.

It’s not a lie.

Skye hacks into their camera feed then heads to the back of the building to take care of security there, while Rumlow and Steve prepare to break down the doors. Ward is the muscle for the front door, they’re supposed to go in quietly, not alerting the enemy to their presence until it’s too late. Grant lets the high of the mission take over, lets everything else melt away until it’s just him and the targets, the goal always the same; get out alive.

The world is reduced to taking out the enemy, saving the hostages, and surviving another day. He can’t feel his knuckles burning or the few punches to his jaw, the kick to his ribs, he’s learned to shelve everything down until the mission is over. The fight ends, bodies liter the floor below his feet and there’s blood on the white stone ground, he looks up to find Steve ushering the Shield agents out safely, while Skye is standing in the doorway, her head cocked to the side.

‘’You really are the best since Nat, why don’t you have a cool codename?’’

He wipes the blood off his lip, ‘’is that really relevant right now?’’

‘’You know what’s relevant? The fact that you just took down like fifty guys and you aren’t even winded’’.

‘’It was twelve’’.

She’s seen him in fights before, why does she look so surprised?

‘’You okay?’’

Skye flexes her fingers and shakes her head, ‘’fine, lets go’’.

‘’How many hostiles did you encounter?’’

She snorts at the word hostile, ‘’I didn’t count, twenty maybe’’.

‘’And you didn’t even break a sweat’’.

‘’I’m amazing’’.

He and Rumlow are doing a head count and making sure everyone is alright minutes later, when Steve presses a finger to his com and asks Skye where she is. Ward looks around, unaware she hadn’t returned from doing one last sweep of the building for anyone else. Steve’s concerned look barely has time to register before the ground beneath them begins to break apart, the building they were just in shakes, windows shatter.

Cap yells Skye’s name and all movement stops, when the smoke clears Quake is in full view. And she isn’t alone. She’s got someone pinned beneath her on the ground and he’s not fighting back, but her arm continues to swing back and punch his face over and over again. She doesn’t stop for anything, not when he stops crying out, not when blood spatters her face or when the sound of his bones shattering starts.

Grant has no clue what’s going on but Steve clearly does, he races over and grabs Skye’s arm, her knuckles are split open and bleeding freely, it looks like her pinky is broken, but she strains against Steve’s hold. He has to drag her away from the body and when he’s got both arms wrapped around her she turns on him with a strangled scream like he’s hurting her. Flips him on his back and pulls a gun out from the back of her jeans, she’s breathing hard her arms trembling.

When Rumlow raises his own gun Steve waves him off, Ward goes to reach for his ICER but thinks better of it, Steve can probably handle this better than they can. In the silence Ward can hear Skye’s muffled noises, almost like she’s crying but speaking at the same time, Steve has both hands up in front of him as if showing her he means no harm, Skye’s grip on the gun in his face never falters. It isn’t until Rogers tells her who he is and says Natasha’s name that she finally comes back from wherever she was.

Drops the gun at her feet and sinks to the ground, Steve scoops her up before her knees hit the dirt and carries her into the jet. No one says a word, but Rumlow shakes his head as if to say, _I told you so._ Grant doesn’t see her for three days after that, he had to brief Hill on how the mission went, and had to meet with Fury on his own. Fitzsimmons ask about her every day like he’s supposed to know, Skye refuses to answer any of his calls or texts.

Currently he’s at the bar across the street from the Triskelion sitting in a booth with Bobbi Morse and Trip, usually he doesn’t hang out with anyone after work, but sometimes he makes an exception. Specialists are all cut from the same cloth so if anyone understands the hardship of this life, it’s one another. He’s sipping a beer when commotion from the bartender starts up again, Skye got here half an hour ago and has been causing trouble ever since.

He tries not to think about the first time he saw her here, warm to the touch and smooth, how he wanted to hold her and never let go. That feeling is still there, though there are ulterior motives attached to it. Bobbi rolls her eyes when Skye calls for more shots, when she comes into view Ward is wondering if now would be the best time to play hero. Get her to see a human behind the robot mask she’s so convinced he wears.

‘’That girl is a problem’’.

Trip frowns at Morse, ‘’no she’s not’’.

‘’Quake is a walking natural disaster, if you ask me she should be in a mental institute, not Shield’’.

Ward stays silent while Trip defends his friend, ‘’do you have any idea what she’s been through? Traumatic things happened to that poor girl, she needs time and therapy not a straight jacket’’.

‘’Says you, Fury should have just killed her and not listened to Romanoff’’.

‘’Skye is a nice person, you just have to get to know her’’.

Bobbi nudges his elbow, ‘’Quake spends ninety percent of every day yelling at you doesn’t she? You can’t tell me she’s not damaged’’.

Ward puts down his beer and stands, ‘’aren’t we all?’’

As Skye’s voice starts to rise he walks up to the bar stools to find her in between three civilian males, drinking tequila and telling them to get away from her. He shoves his way between the nearest one and tells him to get lost, the second one Skye scares away herself when she tells him she could kill him in a second. Quake doesn’t seem to notice Grant at all, her attention focused on all the Shield agents that are whispering about her.

Facing the front door she starts drunkenly yelling about how she could stop all their hearts if she really wanted to and there’s nothing they could do to stop her, the bartender threatens to call the Police, Ward is about to step in and play the man she needs. When the door opens and in walks Clint Barton in a leather jacket, who frowns at the other Avenger. She doesn’t notice Hawkeye either, gets in the face of Brock Rumlow and yells about what a terrible lay he is.

He looks close to punching her in the face, and Ward presses closer just in case, not even realizing he’s moved to defend her until it’s too late, and it had nothing to do with his mission for John. Barton swoops in without a word, let’s Skye see he’s there, before hoisting her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the bar. Everyone claps when she’s gone and Ward feels sorrow enter him, a little bit of anger too. And he agrees with Trip.

Skye is clearly in pain and has been for a long time, people just call her insane because they’d rather label her ill than see the trauma behind her eyelids. Every single atom in his body wants to hold her to his chest and shield her from all this, take her demons and put them on his own shoulders so she’ll be happy and at peace.

And that emotion has nothing to do with John or the goal they’ve set, no matter how hard he tries to convince himself that it does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ward, my sweet dumb idiot. Playing Skye and pretending to fall in love with her isn't going to go the way he wants it to.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!
> 
> Also I realized the other day that I forgot to add Happy in here, he and Skye would have been such a chaotic duo.
> 
> I’d like to point out Ward’s conversation with Garrett in case it upsets anyone. At this point in time Ward has no idea he’s been brain washed, or that his choices regarding John are wrong. And he isn’t completely in love with Skye at the moment, so of course he’s going to do whatever he has to in order to keep Garrett alive.


	10. Cold Sheets, But Where's My Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye makes a huge mistake and calls the last person anyone would expect to help her. She and Ward grow closer and start to discover that maybe those dreams aren't just dreams after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the final season of Agents of Shield premiers in May and I've seen so many people and ''sources'' confirm that Ward is coming back. Here's to hoping, I'd love to see him again! I know it's a LONG stretch but maybe we get our Skyeward endgame after all?
> 
> Anyway I LOVED writing the Skyeward moments here, thank you for reading and commenting!!

Hand warmers stuffed into both pockets, heated fuzzy socks tucked inside boots, gloves, a purple knit cap and a scarf chase away with sharp cold. Snow falls on the exposed skin of Skye’s face numbing her nose, eyelashes blink rapidly against the ice as it covers the sand beneath her shoes. The sky is gray casting a gloomy glow on the ocean in front of her, the waves are violent as they break and crash into the shore.

Her breath makes puffs of smoke each time she inhales, her hair dances wildly with the wind as it continues to blow almost angrily. On this below freezing morning with her lips turning blue, she’s not alone. There’s a body at her feet the wound on its head seeping blood, far enough away that the sea won’t sweep it away yet, but all Skye would have to do is give a nudge with her toe, and the water would carry him off like this never happened at all.

It’s four a.m. she should be sound asleep right now, not here watching as a river of red mixes in with course sand growing thicker by the second, part of her wants to reach out and poke the clumps of blood, see if the shells and rocks in the sand are still rough. Maybe they’ll cut her finger open and she’ll run red too, perhaps the gods or karma will forgive her if she bleed as well. But her hands stay firmly in her pockets, warm and steady even though the rest of her is shaking.

If this were a normal day she wouldn’t feel so guilty, but this isn’t a mission this man wasn’t dangerous or a target. He simply made the mistake of meeting her eye across a bar and then buying her a drink, he had no idea that the woman he asked to slip into the backseat of his car was a monster. Just like he didn’t understand that his clothes and his breath smelled like lemons on the account of the drinks he ordered, and that is one of her triggers.

Skye tasted the sour fruit on his tongue, let the scent drift through her nose and tried to stave off the panic. She tried so hard to control it, keep it from happening, when her powers rose up as the weight of her emotions grew she clenched her fists and turned them in on herself. To protect him and everyone else in range because she doesn’t want to be a monster she doesn’t actually want to hurt anyone, her powers raged and screamed inside her skin.

Her arms lined with dark ugly bruises as hairline fractures split and broke open her skin, the pain the anguish at feeling what makes her powerful directed back at her bones made her cry out and sweat as she fought to contain it. But it wasn’t enough, it didn’t work. The windows of his sports car shattered, the parking lot in front of them crumbled from concrete to powder, it was all a mess of breaking glass and falling buildings, people screaming, alarms going off.

And just as quickly as it began, it ended. Skye opened her eyes to find the man who had his hands up her shirt two minutes before dead next to her. So once she calmed down she drove out to the ocean with his body in the backseat, and now here they are. She doesn’t remember dragging him through the sand, or finding the heated socks and hand warmers in his glove box, but she does remember the warmth spreading through her fingers and the look of terror on his face.

It’s permanently etched there now, gray eyes wide in fear as he stares up at a cloudless sky. There isn’t a name for the feelings coursing through her veins, guilt and shame aren’t powerful enough, disgust is too soft and self-hatred is too gentle. So she just stands here and breathes, tries to soothe her aching arms by rolling up the sleeves of her coat so the cold air will help, but she can’t feel anything other than pain. Pain for the innocent man who didn’t ask for any of this, and for herself who didn’t either.

_Wherever she goes, death follows._

That single sentence, the one that has glued itself into her brain causes her knees to buckle, but she doesn’t sink into the sand or scream or cry. She just stands there with Daniel Whitehall’s voice in her mind, an echo of a whisper his hands on her shoulders, he promised she’d be perfect. Look at how perfect she is now. Skye doesn’t remember taking out her phone or listening to five different dial tones, has no idea why she calls the sixth number she does, maybe she didn’t want to be alone.

Her lips are numb and her eyes burn terribly when a car door slams behind her, silent footsteps on the sand coming towards her, a heartbeat in her palms that feels more familiar with each growing day. The wind has picked up blowing her hair in tangles across her face, she doesn’t look at the body of the person who comes up beside her, too focused on the one at her feet. Eyes still open wide in terror, the blood from the wound isn’t gushing anymore.

‘’How long have you been out here?’’

Grant Ward’s voice is deep and guarded, but not horrified, she notices.

The ice in the air has made her throat thick and she can’t respond, but he keeps talking anyway.

‘’What happened? Are you alright?’’

The concern in his voice makes her snort, she’s never heard it from Ward before, they haven’t exactly been nice to one another since they met.

‘’There’s nothing funny about this Skye’’.

Ah, there’s the douchebag she was looking for.

When she does not respond to any further questions Ward moves away and she finally looks at him, watches as he bends down to the man she killed. Checks his pulse, his head wound, sweeps the area again to see if any prying eyes decided to show up. Ward is wearing a thick black coat, gloves, a beanie and boots, he appears like the cold doesn’t bother him, never shivers or shakes, never curses about the temperature like she usually does.

Skye has no idea why she called him. They’re not friends, she doesn’t like him still half the time, they see the world differently and rarely agree on anything, they’re partnership was forced and if she had to kill him it probably wouldn’t affect her in any way. Ward doesn’t mean anything to her, if he stopped breathing it wouldn’t bother her, never seeing him again wouldn’t break her heart. He can’t comfort her here like the Avengers would, and watching him now Skye realizes that’s it.

If Nat or Barton were here they would tell her this wasn’t her fault, treat her like a fragile toddler who simply couldn’t control her emotions and did a bad thing. They’d help her into the car and turn the heat on, Nat would take her in her arms for warmth and tell her she’s not a monster, Clint would take care of the body then comment that the man probably deserved it. The Avengers would patronize her, baby her, say she’s not the blame for what happened.

Ward won’t do any of those things, and Skye understands that’s exactly what she wants. She wants someone to yell at her, ask what’s wrong with her, why she killed an innocent man in cold blood, she wants Ward to be so disgusted by her actions that he’s almost cruel and violent towards her. Skye wants him to rant and rave and curse the entire time he’s out here, hate her for dragging him out of bed and into the freezing cold, wants him to say this is the last straw and he’s done with their partnership.

She’s waiting for it with her shoulders tense, for the yelling, for him to say she’s a monster and Romanoff should have never saved her, Skye has heard it all before. She’s braced for the condemnation, the venomous words spitting out of his mouth, the blame, the hatred, the malice. She wants it because she thinks she deserves it, Skye did a terrible thing and should be punished for it. But it never comes. Grant doesn’t do any of the things she imagined in her head, instead his response is surprising.

He turns back and glances between her and Matthew, the ocean and then the car he drove in on. And his expression makes her pause, do a double take, his normal robotic face has morphed into concern, sorrow in his eyes and her hands shake with the weight of it. She didn’t call him for this, she doesn’t deserve to feel better after this, she needs someone to degrade her and tell her she’s a child of the devil and deserves to die for her crimes.

Instead Ward puts his hands on her shoulders, his fingers so strong and for one second Skye has a flash of being pressed against him. Knows exactly how it feels to be wrapped in those arms, her head against that chest, what it feels like to drown in that embrace and knows without any doubt in her mind that he means safety, comfort. Which is impossible because they’ve never hugged, he’s never touched her bare skin or kissed her, she shouldn’t have an idea about any of this. 

She shouldn’t know what every inch of his body against her own feels like, but in this moment it all rushes into her like ice water. His hands are warm on her shoulders and for a moment she _knows_ him, as if he were made for her and she called him because he was the only one who could soothe the darkness in her soul. But then just as quickly as it came, it’s gone. Those feelings recede back into whatever fold they were stored in, and it’s just them on this beach with a dead body.

Skye looks up into those whiskey eyes who it would appear, just had the same odd sensation she did, and his hands tighten their hold on her for a moment.

‘’Do you want to wait in the car? I’ll take care of this’’.

It sticks out that he gave her the option, Nat would have just told her to go to the car.

‘’You don’t, Ward I didn’t call you to clean up my mess’’.

‘’So why did you?’’

His cheeks are flushed from the cold and Skye doesn’t have an answer for him.

So she settles with the most obvious one, ‘’the Avengers are assholes and wouldn’t answer my phone calls, you were my last option’’.

There’s more to the story though, she just can’t figure it out.

Like there’s a voice is in her head telling her to think harder and she’ll know, but it’s soon drowned out by the sound of the ocean waves.

‘’You should have called Hill for this’’.

‘’Gross’’.

Ward removes his hands from her and holds out a set of car keys, ‘’can you help or do you want to go?’’

She looks down at pale skin, the ocean starting to lap at Matthew’s body, vomit rises in her throat.

‘’I can help, just give me a second’’.

When she turns away and vomits she misses the twitch of Ward’s fingers, how he takes one step to hold her hair back and stops himself.

Like it was a habit to make sure her hair wasn’t in the way, he didn’t even think about it.

It doesn’t take very long at all, together they make sure her DNA is clear from Matthew, any trace connecting her to him is gone. Skye shut down every single camera before she walked into the bar several hours ago so there’s no record of her being in this town at all, which is especially helpful because the quake she caused made headline news. It’s blamed as a natural disaster, a few people were injured but none dead, so far. That is until the authorities discover Matthew’s body, which should be soon.

Skye and Ward drive away from the small coastal town in silence, they stop at a gas station to fill up and Quake locks herself in the bathroom and washes her hands until they bleed. The blood in her fingernails is washed away but won’t ever leave her, she knows she’ll forever see Matthew in her nightmares now. Under the fluorescent lights the bruises on her arms look terrible, black and blue run all the way from wrists to shoulders, every single bone in both arms ache and pulse, familiar pain she’s intimately familiar with.

Knowing how annoyingly impatient Ward is Skye leaves the bathroom and grabs an energy drink, pays with cash and meets him at the SUV. He’s watching a group of older men in the corner by the ice machine who immediately peek interest when she walks by. Lucky for them they say nothing and Skye gets into the vehicle without incident, once they’ve driven off she unloops the feed on the gas station’s cameras and puts them back to normal, no evidence they were there at all.

Except for the clerk and group of guys outside, but Matthew’s death will be blamed on a freak accident not murder, there’s no reason the cops would sniff around and question anyone on her whereabouts. But the paranoia swims in her veins and she can’t help but wonder if they should go back, though that’d be an even bigger mess, a larger web to tangle herself and Ward into, he deserves better than that. He shouldn’t even be here, colluding to a crime he knows was no accident.

‘’Do you think we should go back?’’

‘’Why would we do that?’’

She puts her boots on the dash, watches as bits of sand fall onto the floorboard, catches Ward glowering at it.

‘’For the clerk and that group of guys, they saw me’’.

He looks away from the road to her face, ‘’please be joking’’.

‘’I’m serious’’.

‘’There’s nothing connecting you to this at all’’.

‘’But what if there’s a chance?’’

‘’Then maybe you shouldn’t have done it’’.

‘’You don’t know what happened’’.

‘’Then tell me, tell me I covered up a murder for a good reason, you owe me’’.

‘’Oh like you’ve never hid a body of someone you killed then had Shield cover it up for you’’.

‘’Everyone I’ve ever killed has been a high level target, they were dangerous and couldn’t be allowed to live. This obviously wasn’t a mission and that man wasn’t your target’’.

‘’Good god Ward can you act like a human for one second? I’ll tell you if stop sounding like a robot Shield created in some factory’’.

He sighs and then says quietly, ‘’I’m listening’’.

Skye debates on revealing what happened for one more second, the fact that he’s going to know something before Natasha does seems odd.

But he’s right, he deserves an explanation.

So she tells him everything, every detail and messy part of this terribly awful day. Skye waits for the judgement she’s been craving, but does not receive it. Just like earlier, surprising her, Ward is soft instead of hard, polite instead of cruel. He’s silent for several moments before looking over at her and saying the same thing everyone else would. ‘’It wasn’t your fault Skye’’. She snaps, the passenger window shatters, Ward curses and the car swerves, the road buckles, the earth bends and twists under her clenched hands.

She doesn’t notice Grant pull the SUV over all she can focus on is trying to rein her powers in so another incident doesn’t occur, her arms scream in pain as her powers roll inwards, the already fractured bones split even further she’s sweating she can’t calm down. Her stomach clenches like she’s going to be sick again her throat is on fire, everything is a blurry shaking mess everything hurts as if she’s breaking herself open and is going to bleed out all over this leather upholstery.

Warm hands holding her face steadily applying pressure, a soft voice in her ear that seems to yank at the shadows in her brain and scatter them. The panic slowly eases, her powers turn from a raging violent storm to calm and steady, they return to a humming in the background she always feels. She opens her eyes to find Ward getting glass out of her hair, thumbs stroking her temples, his eyes are wide but she can’t tell if it’s from fear or panic.

He’s saying something to her but the words are muffled, it takes a while to make out the sentences. He’s telling her she’s alright, it’s okay, she’s in one piece not covered in blood, just breathe. Unaware her hands are holding onto his wrists until she feels his skin underneath her nails, Skye breathes like he suggests by matching the pace of her lungs with his own. It works, she stops sweating and hyperventilating, the earth beneath them goes back to its normal state.

A panic attack once a day is normal, hell having one every single day she can take. But two less than twelve hours apart from each other leaves her exhausted, she sags against the seat after sweeping the glass away. Ward is still holding onto her face his eyes no longer wide, but she can see the concern in them, the hundred question he wants to ask and she’s not sure she can answer. Taking her coat off he finally releases his hands as she surveys the damage done.

The window on her side is the only one that shattered, the road in front of them has been uplifted and destroyed in a couple places but not irreparable. Ward isn’t crying about broken bones so she’s pretty sure he’s not injured, though doubts he would tell her if he was. The SUV itself suffered no damage beside the window, Ward goes out to check just in case as Skye buries her head in her hands. The Avengers are the only ones who have ever seen her have a panic attack, they’re used to it.

Nat and everyone else in their family has seen her in this state, but no one else has. And she definitely didn’t want the first person to do so be Special Agent Grant Ward of all people, though he did talk her down from that and Nat and Tony have been the only ones who’ve ever been able to. How did he do that, how did he know what to do? Did he just guess, does he have anxiety attacks too? Is he going to come back into this car and tell her to get out, that she’s caused too much damage?

Grant sits back down into the driver’s seat, asks if she’s alright to which she replies that she doesn’t want to talk about it. He nods in acceptance after checking her over again and starts driving, she ends up turning off her phone, because of course now the Avengers want to call. They drive in complete silence in the freezing air, snow melting into the car, they had nothing to cover the broken window and Ward suggests that she head into the back seat where the icy wind isn’t so bad.

After complaining multiple times that she’s starving and Ward assessing that she’s safe to be in a public area, he stops a diner off the highway. It’ll be hours before they reach either of their apartments and he only pulled into this parking lot to get Skye to shut up, they exit the vehicle and Ward heads in first. The air is warm and welcoming as he picks a booth in the back, every person and possible exit path in his view, he’s more paranoid than she is.

After ordering coffee she notices how he looks around every few seconds, studying everyone and everything, searching for a threat. His dark hair is messy from the hat he took off, that jawline on display thanks to the smooth cheekbones, those whiskey eyes flick over to her when he notices her gaze. She can tell he wants to ask what the hell her problem is, but is holding back, probably too afraid of the answer he’ll get and how she’ll react.

‘’You’re staring’’.

He says finally, the comment lights something up in the back of her brain, something is there, a flicker, just like back on the plane.

She could swear they’ve said this to one another before, the thought gives her a headache.

Her reply comes automatically like it’s from someone else’s mouth, ‘’am I not allowed to do that?’’

For a second Ward looks just as puzzled as she does and then it’s gone.

‘’Shield monitors you’’.

It’s true, just like they monitor her powers and every single earthquake that happens.

So do the Avengers.

‘’Creepy’’.

He sweeps the diner again after the waitress brings them coffee, Skye pours out a couple sugar packets onto the table and starts creating a small mountain.

‘’Psychoanalyze me’’.

Ward raises a brow, ‘’what?’’

‘’You’re analyzing everyone in this diner, do me’’.

It’s a distraction, a change of subject from the odd sensation they both just experienced, and the destruction he just witnessed over the past few hours.

He doesn’t hesitate, ‘’you use humor as a defense mechanism’’.

She gets it from Tony.

‘’You suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder but don’t want anyone to know’’.

‘’You just couldn’t abbreviate that could you?’’

He doesn’t falter, ‘’you want nothing to do with the chaos inside of you but you thrive off it anyway’’.

The fact that he’s already figured that out when it took years to discover that herself, is unnerving.

‘’You have abandonment issues on account of being raised in the foster care system, you’ve found a family in the Avengers and they all treat you like a daughter’’.

She loves them more than she’ll ever love herself.

Ward’s tone is soft when he ends with, ‘’and you miss your parents even though you’ve never met them’’.

Her parents have been long dead, it’s in her Shield file so it’s no surprise he knows that.

Skye leans back in the booth and shakes out a piece of glass in her hair, pretends to be unaffected, ‘’you’re pretty good Agent Ward’’.

‘’That’s what they pay me for’’.

‘’Is that a joke? Are you broken?’’

A tiny smile curls at his lips and Skye nearly finds herself copying the expression, a marvel after the day she’s had.

They’ve just ordered breakfast when Skye broaches the subject, ‘’you’ve calmed someone down from a panic attack before’’.

He nods into his sip of coffee, ‘’a few times’’.

He’s lying but she doesn’t know it, in reality Kebo, Ward’s longtime friend has calmed him down from several panic attacks, though Grant is in denial that’s what they are.

All Ward did was copy what Kebo does to him to soothe the anxiety.

Skye tears the Band-Aid right off, better to know where they stand than skip around the subject, ‘’are you going to tell Fury you need a new partner?’’

‘’Why would I do that?’’

She gestures to herself, ‘’walking natural disaster, I’m a monster’’.

If he makes that soft expression one more time she’s going to slap him.

‘’You are not’’.

‘’That’s not what you were saying a few weeks ago’’.

He sighs, folds his hands atop the table, ‘’I didn’t understand you a few weeks ago’’.

‘’Oh and now you do? What you suddenly help me clean up a murder scene and we’re best friends? Should we get matching pink necklaces from an outlet store?’’

‘’Lashing out at me isn’t going to help’’.

‘’Don’t use that tone, you’re not better than me’’.

‘’Never said I was’’.

Skye sighs before settling down, sometimes her rage and her defenses get the best of her.

‘’Guess I should probably thank you’’.

‘’You don’t have to’’.

‘’So you get me now huh? Is that supposed to impress me?’’

‘’Impressing you is not what I’m aiming for’’.

‘’What are you aiming for?’’

‘’Skye in order to work together we need to trust one another, fighting all the time isn’t helping either one of us’’.

She’s been thinking the same thing.

‘’This partnership isn’t going to last if you keep suffering alone during a mission and then expecting me to forget it ever happened while you get black out drunk at the end of the night’’.

She most definitely picks up on the ‘suffering alone’ part.

‘’What are you saying?’’

‘’I’m saying that if you feel uncomfortable at any point out in the field, tell me so we can work through it. So you don’t hurt yourself or someone else, I don’t want what happened with Captain Rogers and Rumlow to happen again’’.

This is new territory for Skye, no other Shield agent has ever offered to be there for her like Ward is, they just call her insane and complain to Maria Hill.

‘’Why in the hell would you want to help me?’’

‘’Because despite our best efforts to not be partners, we’re going to be working together a lot and I don’t want to worry every time we go on a mission’’.

So he doesn’t think she’s a deranged monster like everyone else.

When she asks to confirm this Ward shakes his head, ‘’I saw a different side of you today, you’re aren’t this terrible awful person. Bad things happened to you and you live with it every day, people misunderstand you and I was one of them, I’m sorry about that’’.

The apology burns and she bits her tongue to stop a mean comment from coming out in response.

‘’So you’re going to be nice to me now?’’

That smirk is back, ‘’well like you said, you and me wrong foot’’.

The waitress places food on their table and Skye wrinkles her nose at Ward’s choice.

‘’There’s no possible way egg whites and wheat toast are appetizing’’.

Ward nods to her chocolate chips waffles and bacon, ‘’healthier than that’’.

‘’Tastes way better than your shitty breakfast’’.

He laughs and it feels like they’ve reached a turning point in whatever the hell this is, like she can wake up tomorrow morning and not hate the sight of his face.

‘’I still don’t want to talk about what happened in the car, but thanks I guess, it would have been way worse if I didn’t calm down when I did’’.

‘’You don’t have to thank me, just next time tell me and we’ll figure something out’’.

Skye looks out the window so he doesn’t see her tear up.

Ward saw her at her most vulnerable and didn’t run away screaming, didn’t call her a crazy bitch or say she needs therapy. He’s not throwing a bottle of pills at her or calling her insane, this is the first time anyone outside of the Avengers has seen the ghosts in her bones and offered to help exorcise them. Skye should probably tell him to screw off, that she doesn’t need him, but he’s right, if they’re going to continue to be partners he needs to know what he’s getting himself into.

He’s taking a sip of black coffee when Skye says, ‘’you should be horrified of me, terrified, why are you sitting there like this is a normal thing?’’

His nonchalant attitude has her curious. 

Ward is calm when he replies, ‘’I’ve seen worse’’.

‘’I just killed a dude and you don’t seem to care’’.

He leans in closer, the scent of his aftershave seems so familiar as it wraps around her nose.

‘’I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies in my time at Shield, today was a normal day for me’’.

‘’You put a dead man in a trunk a few hours ago’’. 

‘’Wasn’t the first time, probably won’t be the last’’.

‘’Good god we’re screwed up’’.

He laughs and Skye finds herself grinning, ‘’do I need to rewire your circuits over that? Are you broken?’’

Ward rolls his eyes and Skye marvels that today started out so shitty yet she’s smiling in a diner in the middle of nowhere.

Skye is watching the waitress take their empty plates and once she’s gone Quake warns Ward, ‘’you have no idea what I’m really capable of you know’’.

He meets her gaze and doesn’t shrink away like everyone else would, ‘’I imagine most people probably don’t’’.

For emphasis because she doesn’t think he’s fully grasped yet exactly what he’s dealing with, Skye hones in on her powers, picks out his heart rate in her fingers.

‘’I can feel your heartbeat in my hands right now’’.

Again, he doesn’t seem fazed. 

‘’I could end your life and everyone else’s in this diner before any of you could breathe’’.

She feels it then, that darkness Whitehall promised would always be with her, the one he created.

Ward shakes his head, ‘’you’re not going to scare me off Skye’’.

Quake leans back in the booth and lets it go, that black mark on her soul pulses but she pushes it away.

‘’Are you sure you’re not the insane one in this partnership?’’

‘’It’s possible’’.

‘’I’m a terrible person Ward’’.

He stops at this, cocks his head to the side and the expression he gives her makes her breathing hitch, hands shake, no one has ever looked at her like this before. 

‘’No you’re not’’.

The waitress comes by with the check and before Skye can find her wallet Ward has already placed cash atop the table. 

They’re walking out the door when Quake comments, ‘’murder someone, get a free breakfast. Maybe I should drag you out of bed more often’’.

‘’Please don’t’’.

She’s opening up the back door of the SUV when Ward takes off his coat and drapes it across her shoulders, the sweet gesture causes her to scramble. 

‘’Can I help you?’’

‘’It’s freezing back there, I can’t fix the window right now but this will help’’.

It’s a stupid thing to get sentimental about but she does anyway, no one has ever given her their jacket before in a cliché move like this one. 

‘’Stop being nice to me’’.

‘’I’m not going to let you freeze to death’’.

He’s wearing a black Henley and it’s doing things to her, how does he make a simple shirt look so damn good?

‘’Oh come on, me being dead would solve like ninety percent of your problems’’.

She doesn’t understand the look in his eye when he responds, ‘’no it wouldn’t’’. 

Grumbling she shoves the coat on which smells like him, curls up in the back seat and tries to nap.

They’re on the road for fifteen minutes when the sun finally comes out and Skye leans forward to turn the radio on, if Ward hates her taste in classical music he never says. She’s debating falling asleep, staring at the back of Ward’s head when she gets a flash of something. In another SUV similar to this one, cool leather seats on a warm spring day, a blue sky. Sees herself sitting in the passenger seat, brown hair windblown, a hand on her thigh. 

She tries to pull at the image, expand it in order to see who is with her, what’s going on, why this is happening, but all she can see is herself smile, feel the sun on her face, that blurred hand squeeze her knee. Then it’s gone, washed away like wet ink leaving her confused. It takes a second to remember where she is, clear the webs in her mind, she doesn’t notice Grant calling her name until he snaps in her face. 

‘’What the hell?’’

‘’Were you listening to me?’’

‘’Don’t ever snap at me again’’.

‘’I had to get your attention’’.

Skye looks around to find they’re still driving, ‘’what do you want?’’

‘’We have a mission, are you up for it or should I tell Hill I’m going in alone?’’

Taking a deep breath she does a mental and physical check, while the guilt is still there and always will be, she’s alright. 

‘’I’m good, besides kicking someone’s ass always makes me feel better’’.

He says something under his breath and Skye kicks his seat.

‘’If you ever snap at me again I will break your fingers’’.

Her only reply is a sharp tap on the brakes that causes her body to lurch in its seat. 

The mission is about catching a human trafficker, he’s got a lot of money and Shield has been after him for months. Skye will meet with him pretending to be interested in his business, she’ll charm him and offer up Ward as a prize, and when he’s vulnerable go in for the kill. Technically they’re supposed to arrest him but since he’s dangerous, well no one would really mind if he was gone from the planet. Skye stares at herself in the full length mirror and wonders how much the outfit and the diamonds on her wrist cost.

She’s wearing a black pantsuit with a plunging neckline that ends at her navel, both breasts are outlined but covered by the fabric, red heels and her hair curled in waves down her shoulders. Simmons did her makeup, Ward is waiting at the jet, Skye grabs her phone which is still blocking the Avengers’ calls and messages and goes to meet her partner. Wonders if they can really keep this up without screaming at each other, if she can really trust him enough to tell him when she’s having a moment. 

When Ward meets her gaze as she walks to the jet and sees him falter for just a second, do a double check, his eyes drift down her chest and she grins as he composes himself. Skye knew this outfit would pay off on way or another, when she passes him she taps his shoulder, ‘’eyes up here Agent Ward’’. He sputters and she laughs, what happened this morning shut away in the back of her mind. 

The mission starts out fine, they meet Daniel the target at a restaurant close to her apartment, a private booth in the back that serves golden champagne on ice and caviar on marble plates. Skye hates caviar but manages to keep a few bites down because she’s starving, Ward however seems familiar to the dish and eats it without gagging. Not for the first time she wonders about his background, if the mansion he grew up in was as perfect as it seemed, how many presents he got on Christmas morning, if he got a Maserati the day he turned sixteen.

‘’Ms. Michaels tell me, why should I take an interest in your man?’’

Daniel is a sociopath with graying red hair and blindingly white teeth, Skye feels nauseated just breathing the same air as him.

She slaps on a fake smile though and turns to Ward, ‘’have you seen him?’’

Daniel laughs and gives Ward this look that makes her skin crawl, ‘’he is gorgeous I’ll give you that’’.

Skye smacks his face lightly as Ward remains silent, ‘’you haven’t even see the best parts of him yet’’.

They smile and for some reason shame begins to burn in her stomach, talking about Grant like he’s an object rubs her the wrong way. 

‘’How tall is he again?’’

‘’Six three’’.

‘’What other assets does he bring to the table?’’

Ward shifts slightly in his chair and Skye grabs his arm lightly, though it looks painful. 

‘’Stop fidgeting’’.

The wide eyed puppy dog look he gives her has Skye nearly in tears, he looks like a victim like this is real, like he’s really terrified.

‘’I’m sorry’’.

She works through this surprising emotional response and smiles at Daniel, ‘’we’re still working on a few things’’.

‘’His Greek god features more than make up for it my dear’’.

Skye’s hand finds his cheek again and taps, her nails itching his skin, ‘’you have no idea’’.

The main course has just been served when Ward asks if he can use the restroom, Skye gives him a stern warning and a pinch on the arm to keep to himself and come right back.

He’s really going to sweep the area for Daniel’s personal security again.

Once he leaves Daniel lights a cigarette, ‘’you can’t smoke in here’’.

The room is filled with the harsh scent of nicotine when he responds, ‘’I’m rich Princess, I can do whatever I want’’.

She bites the inside of her cheek to keep from smacking him.

He’s on cigarette number three when it happens, Ward finds a weakness in the security Daniel has and takes them out without anyone knowing, Skye gets the signal and makes her move. Puts down the champagne glass and fixes her dark lipstick. Daniel watches every move she makes, checks for tenth time if she’s wearing a wedding ring, leans back in his chair and smiles, she fights the urge to punch the teeth out of his stupid face. 

‘’I think you and I can work out a deal Ms. Michaels’’.

Skye fluffs her hair, ‘’that’s what I came here for’’.

‘’You do something for me, I do something for you’’.

She raises an eyebrow, ‘’please share’’.

The hand not holding the cigarette disappears beneath the table, she hears the sound of a zipper being undone.

‘’Come over here and make me happy and I’ll take that boy off your hands for half the price’’.

Quake is so used to disgusting rich men who think they own the world that the comment doesn’t faze her. 

But the promise of putting this asshole in his place and making him cry has her standing, leaning across the table. 

She grabs the cigarette from his lips, ‘’oh Daniel, you I have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into’’.

He has no time to react as she takes the lit cigarette and smashes it into his cheek.

It ends in disaster and this time it was not her fault. Skye is in the alley waiting on Ward to finish whatever the hell he’s doing, Daniel is tied up and knocked out at her feet waiting on a team to come pick him up. Skye has already hacked into his back accounts and all his business dealings so Shield has all the proof they need to arrest him. She’s telling Ward to hurry the hell up because she’s freezing when commotion sounds from the building. 

Surprising her, two bodies suddenly fly out the window to her right, glass shattering everywhere. Judging by the slope of the shoulders and the dark hair, Ward fell or was kicked through the window first and probably dragged his opponent down with him. There’s blood on the concrete as both males rise to their feet, Grant’s back to her as he dodges a hit to the face, she notices a nasty cut on his knuckles which he probably has way more. 

Before this can escalate further Skye steps in and raises a hand, the other man goes flying across the alley headfirst into a nearby car. She turns and sees a few other scrapes and cuts across Ward’s face, there’s glass in his disheveled hair and a wild look in his eyes. He’s breathing isn’t hard but it’s not normal either, both hands are clenched as he checks to make sure she’s alright. 

‘’We need to get you to a hospital’’.

He shrugs off her hands that grab at his shoulders, ‘’I’m fine’’.

He checks to make sure Daniel is still unconscious just as the extraction team shows up to take him.

‘’You just fell through a damn window you are not fine’’.

‘’I was kicked’’.

‘’Oh that makes it better’’.

Skye follows him as he talks to a Shield agent about what happened, ‘’you are not fine Ward’’.

‘’Drop it’’.

‘’You need to go to a hospital, you could have a head injury!’’

He rakes both hands through his hair and then shows her clean palms, ‘’I’m not bleeding’’.

‘’This tough guy act isn’t cute, don’t be an idiot’’.

‘’Leave it alone Skye’’.

Ward walks away and she follows, ‘’if I was the one who was kicked through a window wouldn’t you force me to a hospital?’’

He spins around so fast it catches her off-guard, ‘’no, I would believe you when you said you weren’t hurt’’.

In his all black attire that’s been ripped, glass in his hair and blood on his face he looks dangerous, intoxicating, then he opens his mouth and ruins the appeal like he always does. 

‘’Stop acting like my mother, I’m fine’’.

‘’Gross’’.

He sighs and his tone changes from winter to summer, ‘’I don’t like hospitals okay? I can patch myself up’’.

She wants to ask why that is, but refrains from the look on his face, like he’s haunted by something.

Making a split decision she says, ‘’fine, look my apartment is close by at least let me help you’’.

He looks up towards the sky in exasperation, ‘’what happened to when you didn’t care if I lived or died?’’

When he looks down at her she’s smiling slightly, ‘’you answered my phone call this morning’’.

That moment at the bar passes between them and both Skye and Ward realize they never really hated each other at all. 

Which is how Skye finds herself in her bathroom with Ward sitting on the toilet seat, blood on white gauze on the counter, the water running in the sink. Grant is silent as she applies alcohol soaked cloth on his face, the last of the worst cuts. She tries to pretend like him being shirtless in her bathroom is a normal thing, that she’s seen his half naked body hundreds of times and this is completely fine, her hands aren’t shaking, she’s not imaging him pressing her into the wall. 

The stupid look in his eyes isn’t helping either, he’s smoldering in front of her his skin warm to the touch. Every time she drifts closer he tracks each movement, every step she takes, Ward may annoy her most of the time but she can’t deny how unfairly gorgeous he is. And good god if he looks down her shirt one more time she may lose all sense of self and pick up where they left off at the bar. She asks again if he wants her to call anyone, family, if anyone needs to know he’s alright. 

But Ward just shakes his head and she wonders if he’s got any friends. Or if he lives his personal life the same way he does at work, alone and closed off. It makes her sad to think he’s that lonely, goes asleep by himself, eats breakfast alone. Then she realizes they may also have that in common as well, two lonely people grouped together against their will, maybe they don’t have to be alone anymore. She shakes her head at the stupid thought, just because he took care of her today does not mean they’re friends.

The air is thick with tension it hurts to swallow, Ward keeps leaning into her hands whenever she cleans a wound and it’s throwing her off, every single inch of her body wants to climb in his lap and hold him. Stroke his hair, kiss his forehead, the feelings confuse her, like they belong to someone else and they’re forcing her to obey. Jumping his bones right now would not be good for anyone, she could screw up what little progress they’ve made so far.

‘’You’re being nice to me’’.

His voice is low and husky in the small room and Skye takes a shuddering breath, dabs at a speck of blood, ‘’you’re not that bad’’.

The amazement in his cheekbones heat her from head to toe.

After every wound is cleaned Skye goes to grab him some of Steve’s clothes that he left here once, a Shield sweater and black track pants, she hands them to Grant and closes the bathroom door, heads to the kitchen and pours a large glass of wine. Heats up a slice of pizza from the night before and leans against the fridge, so exhausted from the drama of today. Eyes closed she sips the wine and listens as Ward comes out of the bathroom, she doesn’t see him pause at one of the couches. 

Doesn’t see him finger the Daenerys Targaryen throw blanket on the couch or watch her for a few stolen seconds. 

‘’Are you hungry? I have pizza’’.

‘’I’m good thanks’’.

‘’Ward I’m being nice and that doesn’t happen often, take advantage of it’’.

Opening both eyes she watches him pause at the kitchen counter, ‘’alright’’.

Taking a piece out of the microwave she slaps it on a plate and slides it over to him, ‘’so he kicked you through a window huh?’’

‘’It happens’’.

‘’Is your pride damaged beyond repair?’’

‘’My pride is perfectly fine thank you’’.

‘’Wine?’’

‘’I have to drive home’’.

She finishes glass number one and pours a second, ‘’suit yourself’’.

Skye takes a bite out of her pizza and says, ‘’I think this is the first mission that didn’t end with us screaming at each other’’.

He nods, ‘’it’s nice’’.

‘’Do you really think we’ll survive working together?’’

‘’As long as we learn to trust one another we should be fine’’.

Skye yanks off the diamond bracelet and tosses it on the counter, the wine giving her some courage, ‘’that’s not exactly what I meant’’.

Ward doesn’t appear to be effected, ‘’I know what you meant, my answer is the same. What I said the first time we were in this apartment won’t change’’.

He wants to pretend the moment at the bar never happened, but Skye loves to push people’s buttons so she keeps pressing.

‘’Is that really what you want?’’

But it’s not Ward in front of her that responds. 

For the second time today another flash of something she doesn’t remember echoes in her mind. There’s a bed with soft sheets, strong warm arms wrapped around her, the feeling of being so safe soothes the chaos in her bones. A kiss to her bare shoulder and a deep voice whispers, though it’s muffled, _‘’what I want is to stay here with you and imagine the world outside doesn’t exist’’._ Reality slaps her back in the face when her front door swings open. 

She turns away from Ward who was clearly saying something when she spaced out, to find Tony Stark and Bruce Banner barreling into the kitchen. Iron Man hugs her first and apologizes for missing her phone calls, then scolds her for not answering his returning calls. Bruce spins her around and says not to worry, that there’s nothing linking her to Matthew’s death, then asks if she’s alright. Skye is present but not, as if half her body is still in whatever she saw in her mind. 

Looking back at Grant she has a sinking feeling that he may be the one starring in these flashes, these dreams. It just seems right to place him there, the hands are the same, the shoulders, the smell of his skin. But why is this happening? Why does he feel so familiar when she didn’t know he existed weeks ago? Why does she lose herself in those whiskey eyes, why does he look at her the way he does when they barely know each other?

Is she going insane, having a nervous breakdown? Whatever it is has her shaking and unsteady in Tony’s second embrace as they greet Ward. But one thing she knows despite the chaos in her head, she wanted to stay in that moment she just saw, wanted it more than anything else in the world. But why Ward? Why does it have to be him? Glancing at him now over Tony’s shoulder, he looks like he wants to both jump out the window and hold her. 

As if her life wasn’t hard enough, just add mysterious daydreams to the mix that have no explanation, should be fun.


	11. Right Before Your Eyes I'm Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ward keeps having dreams/flashbacks of someone who loves him, and being Skye's partner gets harder.

Eggs cooking on the stove, wheat bread in the toaster, two mugs of steaming coffee on the kitchen counter. Ward stares at the second white cup and tries to control his annoyance, hating starting the day off in a bad mood. But it can’t be helped, there’s an unwanted visitor in his apartment and no matter how hard he tries, she won’t leave. Ward has used going into the office early as a reason for her to depart, he doesn’t feel well, a friend is coming over soon, nothing works.

Michelle is a tall blonde with amazing legs he picked up from a bar last night, if he knew she’d be this much of a handful he never would have bought her a drink. Usually Ward skips out of a stranger’s bed long before they wake but he brought her to his home last night as a matter of convenience, regrets it now because he can’t pick up and leave. She sits on his couch in his shirt, legs stretched out on the coffee table as she sends him a sultry smile.

This feels wrong for some reason and he can’t figure out why, ignoring the fact that she refuses to leave. It’s as if someone else should be here instead, another body should have been in his sheets last night, slept beside him, he should have woken up to someone else’s hands and mouth on his skin. Ward can’t shake the feeling off, can’t silence the voice screaming in his mind that Michelle should be Skye, it’s always supposed to be Skye.

Which is completely ridiculous since they hardly know each other, she still annoys him to no end, her personality clashes with his. Skye is reckless and crass, cruel at times and violent, he shouldn’t be thinking about her at all. But he can’t stop and it’s gotten worse in the past two days, when he found her at the beach with a body at her feet. That seemed to change everything, when he stopped seeing her as the person Shield does and realized she was just a girl who got dealt a shitty hand in this life.

Her killing Matthew didn’t bother him, cleaning up her mess didn’t faze him. But the expression on her face haunts him, the look in her eyes like she was the most evil person that ever lived. Her anxiety attack in the car didn’t scare him, neither did her warning in the diner that he has no idea what she’s really capable of. What scared him was how she spoke about herself, because the voices in her head sound exactly like the ones in his.

He finally understood Skye for the first time, she’s not this unfeeling robot Shield wants her to be, she feels and experiences everything and then punishes herself for it. Ward can relate, in fact he can relate to many things regarding Skye, which is a surprise all things considered. It’s like parts of himself line up with pieces of her and even though he tries not to get close, those pieces still insist on linking together even if he doesn’t want them to.

He’s pouring milk into the coffee cup when his vision blurs and Ward finds himself sucked into something he still doesn’t understand. When his brain leaves this reality and steps into another one, a better place that he can’t grasp and take control of, can never understand what’s happening and why.

_‘’My heart has been yours since I first saw you, and you’ve held my soul and body between your two hands here and kept them safe’’._

_‘’Why don’t you ever say romantic things like that to me?’’_

_Ward wipes away the remaining shaving cream off his face before turning to the love of his life who is lying in their claw foot bath tub surrounded by candles, book in hand. She’s recently picked up the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and has finally had time to read it. It’s a simple moment, this is something they do every day, get ready for work together, but Ward stops to take in his wife, the person he never though he’d ever have at his side._

_Her hair is up, feet crossed at the ankle and she’s looking at him over her bare shoulder, her face shrouded in darkness but that doesn’t stop his bones from knowing she’s everything to him. Ward crosses his arms and answers her question._

_‘’Because we don’t live in the seventeenth century’’._

_She flicks water at him, ‘’my expectations have been raised since I started reading this, you’re going to have to step up your romantic gestures babe’’._

_Walking over to the tub he leans down, braces both hands on the edge by her arms and says, ‘’I’ll keep that in mind’’._

_Before kissing her slowly, the movement causes the fresh wound near his ribs to throb, but he hides it._

_Or at least he thinks he does but when she breaks the kiss she’s glaring at him, ‘’we need to change the dressing’’._

_‘’I can do it’’._

_Waving him off she sets the book down carefully on a towel before stepping out of the tub and throwing on the shirt he was about to put on._

_He tries and fails not to focus on the way the fabric clings to her wet skin as she digs around under the sink for gauze._

_‘’Don’t we normally keep a first aid kit in here?’’_

_She blindly tosses out boxes of band aids, tampons, and two bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide._

_Grant usually has everything organized perfectly under the bathroom counters, but he hasn’t been home and she has a habit of being a slob._

_‘’God why do we have so many condoms?’’_

_She complains, throwing three boxes at his feet and giving him a look over her shoulder, ‘’shut up’’._

_‘’I didn’t even say anything’’._

_That fire in her eyes he loves so much is fixated on him, the passion and love she’s always carried where he’s concerned comes out full force when she commands, ‘’sit down’’._

_He obeys, sits on the folded down toilet seat while she hovers above him._

_Smooth hands on his skin as she places fresh gauze on the wound it’s a pleasant distraction, so is the feel of her underneath his fingers as he slips both hands underneath her shirt._

_‘’Keep doing that and I’m never going to finish’’._

_Leaning forward Ward plants a kiss against her collarbone, ‘’fine with me’’._

_‘’Grant’’._

_Lips trail a path down her throat and she swats his shoulder, ‘’you know it’s really not fair that you’re still sexy while injured’’._

_‘’It’s a talent’’._

_‘’Oh my god’’._

_Taping the gauze to his side she checks to make sure it’s secure before stepping away from his wandering hands, ‘’stop looking at me like that’’._

_Ward can tell by the look on her face she doesn’t mean it which is why he stands and pulls her against him, attempts to wrap her legs around him but she doesn’t budge._

_‘’Do I seriously have to remind you that you were stabbed two days ago? The doctor said no strenuous activities’’._

_‘’I’m fine’’._

_‘’Your stitches will open back up and I swear to god if you bleed on me while we’re having sex I am never touching you again’’._

_Kissing her forehead he complies, walks over to the tub and picks up the heavy book, skims the section she was reading._

_Ward has never been one for romance novels but he relates to James Fraser and how much he loves his wife._

_‘’Jamie reminds me of you sometimes’’._

_He looks up to find her watching him, sitting on the counter her legs crossed._

_‘’How so?’’_

_‘’He protects the people he cares about no matter the cost to himself, he’d do anything for the woman he loves, he does stupid things in the name of protecting her, he’s loyal and smart, a good man’’._

_One of the only reasons Ward started to believe he could be a good man was because of her._

_Wrapping both arms around her hips Grant kisses her slowly and she presses herself against him, ‘’I love you’’._

_He deepens the kiss and she pulls away after several long moments, shoves him lightly as she hops off the counter, ‘’get away from me’’._

_Laughing he makes a grab for her again but she dances out of the way, ‘’you’re too hot for your own good’’._

_She leaves the bathroom as he turns on the shower, this happiness flowing through him just as it does every day._

_Grant never realized that loving someone and having them love you in return is the greatest blessing you can receive in this life._

Here’s the thing about dreams, you can justify them no matter what. You can simply brush them off and say they are nothing more than your subconscious or your brain is playing tricks on you, they’re easy to ignore and forget about. One could argue that they don’t mean anything at all and to not take them seriously, Ward would normally agree. But what happens when those dreams aren’t just dreams? What if they start happening in the middle of the day while you’re eating breakfast or doing laundry?

How do you justify these moments flashing before your eyes when you’re powerless to stop them? You can’t shove them aside and blame your mind for spiraling out of control, you can’t blame anyone. They just keep coming and you can’t tell anyone because they will think you’re crazy, and if word got back to your superiors it would be over, the man you trust with your entire soul would turn their back on you and you’d have nothing.

They would think Ward was weak if he confessed to what was happening to his brain, and John would think he’s not up to par anymore and kick him to the curb. Grant can’t afford that, which is why he’s kept silent about the dreams, the ones and night and the ones during the day. They happen maybe four times a week so it’s not overwhelming, just unnerving. Always leaving him shaky and off kilter, like his body needs to go somewhere else but it’s stuck here.

On top of all that he’s started to suspect that the woman who stars in these flashbacks or whatever the hell they are, is Skye. Since he can never make out her face he’s not positive, but in those moments something inside him just knows who he’s thinking about, what her hair feels like under his fingers and whatever it is between them isn’t going to disappear. Are these just daydreams because of what happened at the bar? Are they flashbacks, or is he just going insane?

If they are flashbacks, how is that possible? Grant has never believed in reincarnation and if that were the case, why would he just picture Skye? Keeping a professional relationship with her is getting harder every single day and the dreams don’t help. When his mind is there instead of this reality he can feel how much that woman loves him, he feels like he belongs with her and all the demons of his past do not haunt him.

He just, he can’t get her out of his head and he’s not sure if it’s these dreams or if it’s just Skye. With her laugh and crass comments, how she doesn’t let what people think of her bring her down, how strong she is, and that she’s not this unemotional monster Shield makes her out to be. Skye cares more than anyone realizes, she feels so much and hides it behind sarcasm, violence, and a dark sense of humor. She’s a mystery, an unknown variable, a piece to a puzzle he can’t put together.

Ward has tried everything to make all of this disappear and go back to normal, John hasn’t grown suspicious yet but that doesn’t mean it’ll last. Grant has tried fasting, not sleeping, meditation, acupuncture, sweat lodges, dream catchers, juice cleanses, but nothing works. No matter what he does the flashes of him in another time, another place, happier and whole it seems with someone who loves him more than anything, doesn’t stop.

Thankfully they haven’t happened in the middle of a life or death situation but it very well could which makes him nervous, and he’s never nervous. Michelle’s voice brings him fully back to the present and Grant blinks quickly, clears the fog in his mind and attempts to be normal again. Though the scent of vanilla still lingers in the air and the taste of that kiss refuses to leave. Turning around Michelle is now sitting on his counter and holding both hands out for the coffee mug.

Grounding himself with his training Ward hands her the cup and takes a deep breath, moves away when her finger tips trail up his chest, after that flashback he doesn’t want anyone else’s hands on his skin. Making a note to call his longtime friend Kebo this evening, Ward turns to scramble the egg whites and take the toast out of the toaster. ‘’Are you sure you have to go to work? We could play hooky, I’m off today’’.

He keeps his voice polite, ‘’I can’t’’.

She pouts and tosses her hair over her shoulder, ‘’tonight then? You can call me when you get off’’.

Ward thought they were in mutual agreement that this was a one-time thing, apparently not.

Sighing he tells her the truth, ‘’look last night was amazing but’’-

Before he can get the full sentence out the front door of his apartment is shoved open, he’s expecting it to be Garrett so imagine his surprise when Skye barrels through.

Fire in her eyes as she takes in the scene before her, ‘’what the hell is going on here?’’

Confusion doesn’t begin to cover it when Quake fixes her glare on Grant, ‘’are you kidding? You promised me this would never happen again!’’

Michelle gets off the counter, ‘’I’m sorry what’s going on?’’

Ward has no idea how to react to this, so much for his training.

‘’What’s going on is that my son of a bitch fiancée decided that I wasn’t enough for him. So while I was in the hospital all night with his mother he went out and picked you up’’.

Michelle’s blue eyes narrow, ‘’you’re engaged?’’

Ward’s genius response is, ‘’um, no?’’

‘’No? Did you just say no?’’

Skye walks into the kitchen and shoves him lightly, it’s then he sees the mischief in her eyes, she’s messing with him.

‘’Did you have sex with her in our bed?’’

Michelle looks like she’s about two seconds from throwing hot coffee at his face.

Skye shoves him again, harder this time, ‘’god Phillip I thought you changed, you said last time was a mistake and now that I’m pregnant you were going to be better for our family!’’

Tears swim in her eyes and for half a moment even though he knows this is fake, Ward wants to hold her close, the sight of her crying has his chest tightening.

Quake looks up at him, ‘’do you really want our Phillip Jr. to grow up knowing that his daddy is a cheating bastard?’’

Reaching over she grabs the plate he was using for the eggs and throws it at his face, not close enough to do any real harm and he effortlessly dodges it, but to Michelle it would look real.

In between Skye hysterically yelling and crying, Michelle skips out with her heels in hand, as soon as the front door closes Skye sobers up.

Wipes her eyes and sits at the bar stool like nothing happened at all, ‘’she seemed fun’’.

Grant is still spinning with what just happened, all he can think to say is, ‘’what the hell?’’

Quake sets her bag down on the counter, ‘’I was bored and wanted to embarrass you, plus she looked like the type who doesn’t get the hint so I thought I’d help you out. Feel free to say you’re welcome at any time’’.

He gestures to the broken plate on the floor, ‘’thank you?’’

‘’You’re welcome’’.

Now that the chaos has died down and he sweeps up the mess she made, that flashback comes to haunt him.

The _I love you_ against his lips, her hands in his hair, how is he supposed to concentrate on anything else today?

No one has ever told Ward they love him, not once.

‘’What’s wrong with you?’’

‘’Nothing’’.

‘’You seem weird, more than normal’’.

Grant schools his expression to a blank mask, remembers who he is and why he’s here, John’s face in the forefront of his mind, it works.

‘’I’m fine’’.

Skye shrugs, ‘’whatever you say robot’’.

He starts remaking breakfast and she joins him at the stove, ‘’please tell me that’s not what you’re putting in your body this morning’’.

Ignoring the wrinkling of her nose at the egg whites he asks, ‘’out of all the fake names you could have picked for me, you chose Phillip?’’

She chuckles, ‘’I just went with another typical white name, though Grant Douglas is worse than Phillip Justice Coulson’’.

‘’Coulson’s middle name is not Justice’’.

‘’How do you know?’’

He doesn’t, in fact no one does.

‘’Tony came up with Justice a few years ago and it stuck’’.

Speaking of Phil, Ward decides to test the waters.

‘’I bet the Avengers were happy when they found out he wasn’t dead’’.

‘’Clint punched him in the face and Nat didn’t speak to him for a few days, Tony was indifferent, Cap could finally stop feeling guilty and Bruce honestly couldn’t care either way’’.

‘’I get the impression you’re not a Coulson fan’’.

Ward has seen her around the other agent several times and while she isn’t mean to him she’s more stand offish than every other Shield agent around him.

‘’He’s a nice guy I guess, there’s just something about him that rubs me the wrong way’’.

‘’Don’t let Fury hear you say that’’.

‘’I swear besides Nat, Coulson is his favorite agent, that man was distraught after the Battle of New York’’.

‘’I’m still surprised he was able to survive an injury like that, have you read the medical report?’’

Skye snorts, ‘’please don’t tell me you believe that bullshit file’’.

He perks up but outwardly seems only mildly interested, ‘’what do you mean?’’

‘’I don’t know everything because Fury is a secretive little bastard, but I promise you Phil’s injury was worse than anyone knows, according to Thor he was actually dead’’.

‘’Everyone knows that, but they were able to revive him’’.

Quake raises an eyebrow, ‘’were they?’’

‘’You tell me’’.

‘’Coulson was dead for days, not minutes. That’s all I know, I don’t know what the hell Fury did to save him but it was probably some ungodly method in a lab somewhere’’.

She shudders at the mention of a lab and Ward stores this new information to relay to John later, it’s not much but it’s more than they knew in the beginning.

Skye rolls up the sleeves of her tie dye green hoodie and Ward does a double take at the exposed skin of her arms. Black and purple bruises line every inch of her skin from wrists to biceps, harsh angry blotches that look painful, he didn’t notice them two days ago at the beach but they’re in full view now. Before he can stop himself Ward finds his fingers grasping her left wrist, foreign protective instincts he hasn’t felt in years rising up.

‘’What happened? Did someone hurt you?’’

She curses and tries to pull her sleeves back down but Ward doesn’t let up, ‘’who did this to you?’’

He’ll destroy them, if anyone put a hand on her he’d gladly bleed them dry.

‘’Relax Turbo I’d never let anyone do this to me, don’t insult me’’.

Ward didn’t even realize they were standing so close together until he feels the rise and fall of her chest against his own, her skin is warm in his hold and her brown eyes are holding him captive.

He wants to wrap her in his arms just so the look on her face right now would stop.

‘’I did it to myself okay? I have to control my powers sometimes and this is the result, it’s not a big deal’’.

He’s reminded yet again that she didn’t ask for this life, she didn’t choose it like he did, Skye is just trying to get by the best way she knows how.

It breaks his heart.

‘’There has to be a better way to control your powers than that’’.

‘’Are you the expert on Gifted Individuals now? If you have another suggestion I’d love to hear it. I’m sure it’s one I’ve tried already in the several years I’ve had my powers’’.

Grant can’t imagine what it feels like, to be alone with powers you don’t understand and never having another person like you to help you through it.

‘’I’m not an expert, but I do understand what it’s like to feel out of control sometimes, I know some techniques that may help’’.

‘’No thanks I’m good’’.

‘’Just trying to help’’.

She moves away from him and rolls her sleeves back down, ‘’why?’’

‘’Because we’re partners’’.

‘’Oh god are you going to give me the same lame ass speech you did the other day?’’

The thing is, he meant every single word he said in that diner and it had nothing to do with his mission or getting closer to her through manipulation, Grant genuinely wants to help her.

From one human being to another, he knows what it’s like to suffer and hates that she is.

Skye has earned a such a soft spot already and Ward both loves and hates it.

‘’That speech was pretty good’’.

At her smirk he copies the expression, ‘’it earned you some points Romeo’’.

He shoots her a wink, ‘’that’s what I was going for’’.

‘’Gross’’.

He offers her breakfast which she declines and then pulls something out of her bag, ‘’I brought you something by the way’’.

Curious because no one brings him presents besides John which is usually books on war, Ward turns to see a to-go cup of coffee in her hand, the smell of pumpkin drifts between them.

‘’It’s not pumpkin pancakes but it’ll do’’.

Ward freezes, he’s never told her what his favorite breakfast food is, in fact no one but Kebo knows this.

He could question how she knows this and make it awkward, turn it into a huge deal because his mind is racing, but before he can get the chance both their phones vibrate.

Skye thrusts the coffee into his hands to check her phone and sighs when it’s Maria Hill grouping them in a chat, details of an upcoming mission this afternoon.

‘’On the upside we’re working with Fitzsimmons’’.

Ward takes a sip of coffee, it’s really good.

‘’Downside is we’re going to an aquarium’’.

Skye smiles, ‘’what do you have against aquariums?’’

‘’Everything, it’s always full of children and they’re basically liquid zoos’’.

She laughs and it sounds exactly like the one in his dreams, distressing him further.

Their mission is to capture the owner of this aquarium for hacking into Shield’s laboratory, Skye will provide further proof that’s exactly what he did by breaking into his computer system. Fitzsimmons will be onsite to verify the items that were taken and there will be a team for backup just in case, the mark is Isaac Sweeting and he’s known for his violent behavior and extreme ideals. The aquarium is just a move to throw people off and to make money, but he messed with the wrong organization.

Grant was wrong about aquariums, he never appreciated them as a child but as an adult, he’s gained a new fondness for them now. Because the way the blue lights from the tanks shape Skye’s face, the way she looks under the shadows of a tunnel full of sharks, how she smiles at the Starfish and taps the glass when the works aren’t looking. He nearly forgets they’re here for a reason, gets lost in her joy at seeing the otters and penguins, laughs when she compares him to a Moon jellyfish.

Isaac hasn’t arrived yet so they’re pretending to be just normal visitors, other Shield agents linger around while Fitz and Simmons stay by the stingrays. Skye has her back to him now observing something in a glass tank, the slump of her shoulders has Ward at her side and he stops whenever the animal comes into view. Two Angelfish swim around slowly in front of them and a memory flashes so hard in front of his eyes it’s like a punch to the face.

_‘’Did you know Angelfish mate for life?’’ Small hands tucked inside his, a smile on her face as the bright color of the coral around them frame her cheeks. Her skin is cool to the touch but Ward knows after a while she’ll warm up, while she’s distracted by the sea life around them he is not, she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. ‘’Do they?’’ She nods and stands on her toes to kiss him, he clutches her as close as he can while she cups his face._

_‘’Yup’’. She replies when they break apart her hand resting over his heart, ‘’one mate for life, that’s one of the only things I remember from high school before dropping out’’. Before he can respond she wraps her arms around his shoulders, molding her body perfectly against every inch of his. Her expression serious, eyes dancing from his shoulders back to his lips, Ward folds both arms around her waist and kisses her forehead._

_About to say something cheesy and romantic because she loves it, when she beats him to it, her mouth brushing against his own she breathes, ‘’we’re Angelfish babe’’. He laughs and kisses her again, she’s right. There will never be anyone else in this world for him but her, his only love._

Fingertips brushing his own jerks Ward back to the present his mind spinning, body tense with wanting to be wherever that was and not here. Half of him stuck in those arms that held him so close, the other registering Skye’s hand beside his. It takes longer than it should to return, bring his mind to heel and focus on what’s going on. He’s on a mission, he needs to get his head back in the game and stop these hallucinations, picturing John’s face brings everything back to clarity.

This is about Garrett.

This is about Garrett.

This is about Garrett.

This is about Garrett.

This is about Garrett.

The mantra works and Grant takes a deep breath, stabilizing his brain and muscles, relaxes every bone and shoves the daydream in a box. Seals it tight with super glue, uses every bit of training under his belt to compartmentalize and move on. But Skye smells like vanilla and the pale pink polish on her fingernails is the same color as the one he just saw in his head, and if he tries hard enough he can feel her against his chest, her spine underneath his hands.

‘’Angelfish’’-

‘’Mate for life, I know’’.

He finishes for her, not meeting her gaze but not pulling his hand away from her fingers that continue to brush against it.

‘’Don’t use your Superspy skills to finish my sentences’’.

Still uneasy and having a hard time controlling his emotions, Ward asks, ‘’how did you know pumpkin pancakes are my favorite?’’

He can tell she’s trying to blow it off, ‘’lucky guess, don’t make it weird Ward’’.

‘’That’s a pretty specific guess’’.

The anger that’s always simmering with Skye ticks upwards, ‘’is this an interrogation now? Jesus Ward it’s just pancakes’’.

‘’Answer the question’’.

‘’Does punching you in the face count as my answer? Because we’re about there’’.

‘’No’’.

The fact that she knows something she shouldn’t is getting under his skin.

Skye faces him now her glare would make lesser men cower, ‘’you’re such a dick’’.

‘’I’m aware, answer the question’’.

She sets her shoulders back, ‘’make me’’.

Tension crackles between them and before Skye can punch him because he has no doubt she’s going to, someone clear their throat behind them.

‘’Agent Ward’’.

He reluctantly faces Agent Scott, ‘’what?’’

‘’Isaac just walked into his office’’.

Quake transforms into the woman they all know, ‘’perfect, I get to shoot him’’.

‘’No you don’t, those are not our orders’’.

‘’God you’re a real buzzkill’’.

Ward pinches the bridge of his nose, ‘’please don’t kill him’’.

She taps his shoulder, ‘’no promises’’.

They wait for Isaac to start his daily routine, Skye and Ward slip into his office and he keeps watch while she sits at the desk and hacks into the computer. The neon tropical fish paintings are starting to give him a headache and he can’t stop thinking about the two daydreams he had today, when Skye finishes and tucks a flash drive into the back pocket of her jeans. ‘’That didn’t even take five minutes’’. She grins, full of confidence, ‘’I’m just that good’’.

She’s about to walk out her hand on the doorknob when Ward sees movement in the hall and holds her back, arm across her waist pressing her into the wall. It was instinct, unintentional, training ingrained in him for years now. If she were any other agent he would have no reaction to this, his blood wouldn’t simmer he’d be able to breathe clearly, he wouldn’t remember her hands on his bare chest or the feel of her kiss against his lips.

But everything just seems to boil over, the flashbacks, the voice in his head telling him to get closer, the way Skye meets his eyes and he can see his desire reflected in her own. That day at the bar when he would have done anything to just talk to her for one more second, to see if she was as soft as she looked, Grant leans in close and Skye inhales, her hands resting on his shoulders as if they’ve done so a hundred times before.

He touches her face and something flashes behind his eyelids of another time, somewhere else in the middle of the night where he held her and she kissed him. He belonged to her body and soul and in this one moment, this stolen second of time, Ward _knows_ her. Knows that she hates cats and lemons, her favorite brand of gummy candy and that she once called a foster parent mom and they sent her back to the orphanage without a second thought.

That she’d die for any of the Avengers if the situation called for it, that she has trouble sleeping, and when she was eighteen and stuck in that god awful lab she begged for death. When Grant places both hands on her lower back and bends so she doesn’t have to stand on her toes to reach his lips, it has nothing to do with getting close to her to save John. Garrett isn’t even present here, all Ward knows is Skye’s thumbs tracing the exposed skin of his collarbone left by his shirt, the way she’s pressed against him.

In this moment she could do anything she wants to him, kill him, kiss him, bring him to his knees with a single word. Skye runs her fingers up his neck before settling on his cheeks, closes her eyes as his mouth drifts over hers, once, twice, a third time and then she yanks him closer so they stumble into the wall. Ward puts one hand out to steady them and Skye laughs, he feels her teeth against his lips. Then she’s clutching his hair and nothing is funny at all, he’s about to kiss her fully when the office door opens.

Swearing they step away from one another to find Fitz standing there with his mouth hanging open.

Ward acts as if there’s nothing out of the ordinary, ‘’what?’’

‘’Um, Agent Grey sent me to check on what’s taking you two so long’’.

Skye chuckles under her breath, ‘’we were just talking strategy’’.

Fitz bites back a smile and Grant is not amused, ‘’alright, Isaac is alone if you two want to arrest him’’.

Quake skips out before anything else can be said leaving Fitz and Ward alone, ‘’Fitz’’-

‘’Don’t tell Simmons’’.

‘’First of all nothing happened and second of all, why would I tell Simmons?’’

Leo smiles, ‘’she’ll be upset that I was right’’.

‘’About what?’’

‘’I knew you liked Quake’’.

Ward attempts to appear unaffected, ‘’I don’t know what you’re talking about’’.

‘’Sure you don’t, I’ve seen the way you look at her’’.

Not appreciating the sarcasm Grant walks out and tunes out the scientist, who swears he won’t tell a soul what he saw.

Surprisingly Skye left Isaac alive, he’s in handcuffs in the back parking lot being shoved into an unmarked SUV, Ward joins her side as they watch the scene unfold. Hill is currently unloading the data from the drive and Isaac will be questioned further at a classified location, Ward should be happy that this mission wasn’t a disaster. But he’s keyed up and antsy, coiled tight and wants nothing more than to have Skye in his arms, in his life.

She’s typing on her phone and comments, ‘’remember when you said we should just forget about the bar?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’How’s that working out for you?’’

‘’Not well’’.

Clearly.

‘’I told you’’.

At the arrogance in her tone he replies, ‘’you don’t have to do that with me you know’’.

‘’Do what?’’

‘’Pull your Quake act’’.

‘’I don’t’’-

‘’You show this persona to the world, put on this act that you don’t need anyone or anybody, when in reality you want to be loved and accepted just like everyone else’’.

She looks up from the phone now, ‘’is that what you do Agent Ward?’’

The reply is more honest than he’s been with anyone else, ‘’every day’’.

She curses and looks up at the clouds, ‘’I really wanted to hate you forever’’.

Smiling he says, ‘’when we’re done here maybe we can get a drink’’.

Skye gasps dramatically earning a few curious glances their way, ‘’Grant Douglas are you asking me out on a date?’’

‘’No’’.

He deadpans, he’s actually never been out on a real date before, unless marks for a mission count.

She doesn’t deflate at his tone, just smiles and he wants to pull her to his chest, ‘’is this date Black Tie or should I show up in sweatpants?’’

It’s obvious to him now that Skye is one of those people that loves to get under someone’s skin, see what makes them tick for her own amusement. 

Which is why he responds, ‘’we were in an argument twenty minutes ago and now you’re flirting with me’’.

He’s also come to realize that’s how they work, Skye gets pissed off, they fight, she makes a comment to get him to laugh and he’s already forgiven her, it’s nice.

The smile he gets in response has every dark place inside him filling with light, ‘’oh Agent Ward if I was flirting with you, you’d know trust me’’.

Her phone rings loudly before he can think of an answer, she glares at the screen and says, ‘’we’re going to have to take a rain check on the drink Casanova, Avengers emergency’’.

She’s already backing away towards the SUV they rode in on, ‘’everything okay?’’

‘’Yeah I’ll call you later!’’

Then she’s gone and he realizes he doesn’t have a ride back to the Triskelion, with a sigh he calls Agent Grey to pick him back up, wonders when he’s going to hear from Skye.

For some reason it feels as if there are thick strings tethering them together and he knows it’s not just the dreams or flashbacks to blame, he’s wanted her since she walked into that bar.

Hours later after briefing Hill on the mission, a quick workout and checking his phone every few moments like a damn teenager, Ward unlocks his apartment door. A body sits in the bar stool Skye occupied this morning, his friend Kebo is drinking a beer and smiles widely when Ward walks in. ‘’Please tell me you have food, I’m starving’’. Hugging the only person who has ever cared about him besides John, Grant pulls out the ingredients for shrimp linguine and they catch up.

‘’What’s wrong with you?’’

Kebo asks after they’ve eaten, setting down an empty glass of wine.

‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’No you’re not’’.

Schooling his expression into a blank mask Ward repeats, ‘’I’m fine’’.

‘’Don’t use your Specialist bullshit on me Grant, something is wrong with you. You look shittier than the last time I saw you’’.

It was in Paris the last time they met up, weeks ago before Skye became his partner and all this started.

Knowing Kebo won’t judge him he admits, ‘’I haven’t been sleeping well’’.

‘’Nightmares again?’’

‘’Something like that’’.

‘’About your partner?’’

Ward raises an eyebrow, ‘’no’’.

‘’I wouldn’t blame you if they were, Quake is one crazy bitch’’.

‘’No she’s not’’.

At his tone Kebo cocks his head to the side, ‘’someone is defensive’’.

‘’I am not’’.

‘’You know Grant you may be perfect at lying but it doesn’t work on me. For some reason you always forget I knew you before you became an expert at it’’.

Ward takes a sip of water before replying, ‘’she’s not crazy’’.

‘’Okay, is she mean to you? I’ll kick her ass if she is’’.

‘’Skye is fine’’.

Kebo studies him further, ‘’do I detect a hint of fondness in your voice? Oh my god do you like her?’’

Ward throws a dish towel at him, ‘’what are you five?’’

‘’Oh Ward if only you could see your stupid face right now’’.

‘’Skye is just my partner’’.

Kebo just stares at him and then he puts it together in his head, ‘’even if you did like her it would be irrelevant yeah? Because Garrett would never let you be with her’’.

It’s true, Ward is walking a very thin line here.

Kebo shakes his head, ‘’I’ve heard stories about her. Quake is an insane psychopath who deserves to die’’.

Ward feels his fists clench as anger presses down on his spine, ‘’watch your mouth’’.

‘’Oh someone is touchy’’.

‘’You don’t know her’’.

Kebo grins in triumph, the little test proving his point, ‘’clearly not as well as you do’’.

This afternoon comes to mind, the way she looked at him, how she glowed and he’d do anything to make sure she stayed happy that way. 

Skye deserves it more than anyone else he knows.

‘’Shut up’’.

Kebo laughs and they’re quiet for a few moments before he suddenly slams his hand down on the counter, ‘’oh my god’’.

‘’What?’’

‘’I don’t know why I didn’t put it together earlier, it makes sense, it sounds like some bullshit you would pull’’.

‘’What are you talking about?’’

‘’You’re using Quake to save John, you get close to her and that’ll put you directly in contact with the Avengers. And if anyone could find a cure for Garrett it would be Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. And since Quake is the strongest person on the planet if you blind her with your disgusting charm she won’t see you for who you really are, won’t even suspect why you’re really with Shield’’.

Shame begins trickling in as he replies, ‘’you’re not wrong’’.

Ward doesn’t understand why this makes him uncomfortable, he’s done this to other targets many times, it doesn’t mean anything.

All that matters all that will ever matter is saving John.

‘’It’ll end badly’’.

‘’No it won’t’’.

Kebo shakes his head, ‘’Quake isn’t like all your other high profile targets’’.

‘’Again, you don’t know her I’ll be fine’’.

‘’Have you slept with her yet?’’

Grant takes a sip of water, ‘’no’’.

‘’Better get a move on Romeo, I’m surprised Garrett hasn’t forced you to do it yet’’.

‘’It wasn’t Garrett’s idea’’.

Kebo sighs, ‘’oh Ward I wish you would have more respect for yourself, I know it’s not your fault but still’’.

‘’Don’t start’’.

Most of the time Kebo has a specific viewpoint on John, and Ward never likes to hear it.

Kebo makes things complicated with John, he always has.

‘’I just don’t want to see you hurt, god knows you don’t deserve it’’.

‘’Can we talk about something else please?’’

‘’Sure, when Quake stabs you in the heart after she finds out what you’re doing, don’t say I didn’t warn you’’.

‘’That won’t happen’’.

Kebo smiles, ‘’you’re right, I’d never let it’’.

The rest of the evening is spent with no talk of Skye or the dreams Ward has been having, never receiving a message from Skye Ward falls asleep on the couch, Kebo snoring in the arm chair. 

_A silver wedding band on his left hand, a hand wrapped inside his own, hot sand underneath his feet, the smell of the ocean and pineapples fills the air. Tan skin wrapped up in black bikini strings in front of him, brown hair blowing in the summer breeze. Ward follows her without question, not caring where they’re going or what they’re doing, as long as he’s with his wife nothing else matters. Palm trees sway, the sun is setting, he’s holding both of her margaritas and she’s laughing in front of him._

_They reach the abandoned pier and sit down, she climbs into his lap and together they watch the sun descend and the moon appear. Grant looks down and Skye comes fully into view and it’s like he’s seeing the sun for the first time, bright and glowing, smiling up at him and kissing his cheek._

_‘’Hypothetical question’’._

_‘’Alright’’._

_‘’Would you still love me if I went insane and destroyed the entire world?’’_

_Ward doesn’t even hesitate, ‘’of course I would’’._

_‘’Babe, we’re talking about literally destroying the planet and everyone in it, me slaughtering seven billion people’’._

_He kisses the top of her head and knows that even though she’s trying to joke about it, it’s a fear._

_That someday she’s going to do something so awful it’ll scare him off._

_‘’Sweetheart you could murder me and I’d still love you’’._

_‘’That’s not funny Grant’’._

_‘’I’m serious, there’s nothing you could ever do that would make me stop caring about you. You’re the love of my life’’._

_‘’What if I cheated on you?’’_

_‘’I’d make you forget him’’._

_‘’Hot’’._

_Laughing he shakes his head, ‘’baby’’-_

_‘’What if I murdered your sister?’’_

_‘’God’’._

_‘’You said nothing would make you stop loving me. What if I kill Kebo?’’_

_‘’You’d be doing me a favor’’._

_‘’Set your family on fire?’’_

_‘’Again, doing me a favor. Just keep Thomas and Rose alive’’._

_‘’Left you without a word?’’_

_‘’I’d come after you’’._

_She sighs like he’s not giving her the answer she wants, Ward twirls her wedding and engagement rings around, ‘’what’s this really about?’’_

_Skye snuggles closer in his embrace, ‘’we’re married now’’._

_‘’I know, I was there’’._

_‘’Smart ass. I just, I want you to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into with me’’._

_‘’Sweetheart I’m fully aware of who you are and what you’re capable of, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t’’._

_She looks up at him as he plants a small kiss on her nose, ‘’you’re really not going to run away screaming are you?’’_

_‘’Never’’._

_‘’I’m going to hold you to that Ward’’._

_Running a hand through her hair he says, ‘’you can do whatever you want to me Mrs. Ward’’._

_And he doesn’t have to be looking at her to know she’s grinning._

Grant wakes in a cold sweat and this sense of urgency in his blood that he’s never felt before. His heart beat and breath all beating to the same tune, Skye, find Skye. Hands shaking the dream felt so real, like if he blinks they’d be right there on that beach again holding onto one another. He knew it, he knew it was Skye in these flashbacks but can’t figure out why. Is something pushing them together, some unknown force? What does all of this mean? Is she dreaming of him too?

Leaving the apartment and knowing there are about four places he’s absolutely positive she’d be, he hits the bar where they met first. He’s walking through the door just as she sends him a message, spots her at a booth in the back by herself, thank god. He would walk all night just to find her, even go to Stark Tower if he had to, luckily she’s right here. The bar is crowded tonight more with civilians than Shield agents, the smell of beer and tequila heavy in the air. 

Dark brown eyes meet his from across the room and just like when he saw her the first time, everything stands still. Like she’s sucked all the air out of the atmosphere and he’s robbed of breath but can’t find it in himself to care. He should smoothly walk over and sit across from her, order a whiskey and pour his heart out. It’s what his training says to do, get her vulnerable and wanting, wrap those claws around her heart so he can use her whenever he wants, blind her and keep her ignorant. 

But he doesn’t do that. Doesn’t turn on the charm to make her melt into a puddle at his feet, doesn’t seduce her so she’s nothing more than a notch in his belt. Because Skye isn’t a mark and Ward isn’t doing this entirely for John right now, for the first time in his life Grant wants something for himself, he wants Skye on his terms not Garrett’s. So he walks up to the booth and she smiles at him, so much like the one he just saw behind his close eyelids. 

And before she can say a word he’s lifting her up and she lets him, he must be wearing desire all over his face because Skye cups his cheeks, lines her body against his, his hands clutching her waist, he kisses her. Doesn’t care about John or Shield or any of it, all he knows is Skye all he wants is Skye. From the moment she sat down next to him in this bar, it’s all he’s ever wanted. And kissing her, it’s like he’s never kissed anyone else before, like no one matters anymore. 

It’s as if he was drowning and Skye was like coming up for clean air, and then it changes. Her hands move to rest against his chest, his hands run up her back before tangling in her soft hair. It feels like they’ve done this a thousand times before, he knows exactly how to kiss her to make her cling to him, knows the exact amount of pressure to use to keep her pressed against him. Knows all the ways to drive her crazy with his kiss, and yet it’s still brand new and shiny, perfect, golden.

They part and he’s touching her face, running hands through her brown hair, and when they lock eyes Ward knows, every single part of his body knows he’s doomed.

And he doesn’t care. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this chapter! Feel free to comment, thank you for reading!
> 
> The flashbacks here at the beginning and end were meant to be in past fics but I never could find a perfect place to put them, so here we are!
> 
> Also if anyone thinks this kiss/relationship was rushed, first of al I was tired of the angst & didn't want to do the ''will they, won't they'' cat & mouse game for the next 5 chapters. And come on, it's Ward, we all know how much he loves Skye, even if he has no idea who she is at the moment.


	12. I've Tasted Blood & It Is Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward talk about that kiss, and come across an old enemy that they don't know they hate, on a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a romantic Ward line in here that I LOVE my brain for creating, it's so ridiculously sweet if I do say so myself.
> 
> Thank you for reading and of course leave a comment!

Here’s the thing about moments both good and bad; they don’t last. They’re fleeting, always slipping from your grasp no matter how hard you want to hold on with bleeding hands and split knuckles. They fade, settling in a part of your brain for when you need a reason to smile, a reason to cry, something to keep you up at night. Then one day they’re gone, either from old age or the natural deterioration of the mind, you can’t remember something that made you laugh, or sob on the bathroom floor.

You forget what you were wearing, the color of your hair, the way the light shaped the face of someone you knew as they looked down at you, you can’t remember how your shoes pinched your toes or how the air smelled. The perfect golden sun filled moments that made your toes curl, the way your chest burned and every inch of your skin lit up like the room was on fire kind of moments, shatter. And there’s nothing you can do to stop them from disappearing from your mind one day, forgetting they ever existed at all.

Having said all that, Skye can’t imagine she’d ever forget kissing Ward. Holding him close, the way his smooth cheekbones felt against her hands, the strength in his arms as he pulled her to his chest. It was like spending years in the ocean filled with violent hurricanes and traumatic rain, only to finally step on dry land and see your loved one waiting on the sand. It was as if they’d done that very thing a thousand times before, flashbacks bursting through her brain like a kaleidoscope of warm memories.

They were in the bar then they weren’t, instead he was kissing her under a Christmas tree, in an immaculate marble shower, at a beach with the burning sun on her nose, on a roof filled with flowers and tears in his eyes. His hands were shaky then steady in one flash, then desperate and rough in the next, then slow and sensual, worshiping and caressing, Skye’s entire world made up of his hands on her hips in her hair, the way he tasted like whiskey and home.

A mad titan or an insane alien king could have ended the world right then and Skye wouldn’t have cared, God himself could have come down and tried to separate them, Skye wouldn’t have let him. In that moment she would not have let go of Ward for anything, she’d do anything to keep him in her arms, his fingers tangled in her hair, how he felt like home after a long journey away. It was too soon she was falling too fast her feelings breaking open his chest to settle beside his lungs.

But there’s always been something about him, even when he pissed her off, Skye would rather argue with him than kiss anyone else. She’d take the fighting, the almost punching him in his perfect face on a daily basis than work with anyone else, than be anywhere else other than that bar with his body tucked against her own.

Skye has kissed a lot of men in her day and it never meant anything, just a prelude to something stronger, a way to imply exactly what she wants and why. But with Ward it was different, better, filled with a kind of longing she’s never known. It meant everything, as if it’d change her entire life and ruin every single thing she’s ever experienced. And she’d let it, as long as he kept holding her like she was important to him, gently, no one has ever touched her like she’s something precious before.

Skye never wants to forget the feel of his smooth cheekbones beneath her fingers, the way clutched her hair and how he sighed against her lips, the way he breathed her name when she pulled away for air. Standing there in that bar Skye felt as if the entire world should know what just happened. That it too should experience the same profound moment with Grant, filled with fireworks and desire like warm syrup in her blood.

That every single kiss for the rest of time should be exactly like that one, even if it was met with day dreams she has no memory of, like they knew each other once before all of this. Skye knew how to kiss him to make him fall apart against her, where to put her hands, that if she clutched his lower back and dug her nails in it’d make him shudder. It’s almost as if they belonged to one another once upon a time and have been slowly trying to find each other again.

Which is ridiculous because Skye doesn’t believe in soulmates or reincarnation, so how does she justify these dreams, the flashbacks that appear when she’s working out or laughing at one of Tony’s jokes? What does any of it mean? Should she tell someone, mention it to Ward, or is she just losing her shit? Whatever the reason Skye knows two things; that she wants to keep kissing Grant forever, and she’s waiting on him to say he regrets it.

Because that’s the kind of luck they’ve had so far, and part of Skye doesn’t think she deserves any kind of happiness. Take right now for example, she should be sitting in her kitchen alone eating leftovers and drinking fresh coffee in front of the TV watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones. Instead bacon is sizzling in a pan along with eggs and pancakes, there’s toast in the oven and a pitcher of orange juice on the kitchen island.

And Ward is standing in front of her stove like he’s been there all along, like he belongs in her space, her life, her stupid heart that says to never let him leave. She hates him and his dumb jawline and those hands that can break a man’s neck but hold her so close, stroke her skin with a tenderness no one has ever shown her before. Kissing someone you semi-care about is so different from kissing someone you don’t, Skye didn’t get the impression once that he was just using her for pleasure, a warm body to clutch close in the freezing winter.

That’s the thing with spies she’s learned, you never know if they’re genuine or not, but with Ward every atom in her body screams to trust him, that he wants whatever this is between them just as badly as she does. He reaches for the pepper shaker and Skye watches his muscles flex beneath a back Henley, honestly he’s too hot for his own good, it should be a crime.

‘’You know I didn’t make out with you so you could make me breakfast’’.

Ward looks over his shoulder at her, lips still a little red and hair mused, ‘’I know’’.

She tried to eat buffalo wings from yesterday for breakfast and Ward freaked out and insisted on fixing something.

After he hands her a plate full of food and she looks up to see a nervous expression flitter across his face, she asks, ‘’what’s wrong with you?’’

Arms crossed he sighs, ‘’what does this mean?’’

Gesturing between them she knows exactly what he’s talking about, ‘’what do you want it to mean? If you say friends with benefits I swear to god Ward’’.

Skye has been there done that, it never works out.

Does she want this to turn into a relationship? It was just one night but it feels like more, that they started something here and it now has a life of its own beyond their control.

Running a hand through his dark hair he replies, ‘’I don’t want that, I just, it was one night, maybe we should take it slow. See where this goes’’.

‘’Okay’’.

That small bit of panic in his eyes disappears, he walks up and kisses her slowly, like he’s afraid he’s not allowed or that he’s going to break her. Abandoning the food Skye wraps her arms around his neck as he cups her face, then slides both hands down her back, if you would have told her a month ago she’d be kissing Grant Ward in her kitchen, she wouldn’t have believed you. His fingers slip underneath her shirt, Skye melts against his chest and loses herself in the kiss, his arms, just like she has all night.

There’s just something so familiar about having him pressed so close, she shouldn’t know what his bare skin feels like against hers, she should have no memory of him laughing in Stark Tower because he’s never been, and she should have no idea all the ways to touch him to make him melt inside her hands. But she does and it scares her, Skye has no business feeling the way she does they barely know each other, but she’s pretty sure she’d die for him.

He’s kissing her neck and she’s seriously regretting not sleeping with him the night before, when a flashback pulls her under and away from this moment she’d most definitely love to stay in.

_Warm sunshine on her bare back, the open window letting in a cool fall breeze that smells of apples and honey, Skye wakes to fingertips running up her spine and the thick comforter tangled in her feet. Opening one eye she comes face to face with muscles and warm hands, fluffed dark hair that her fingers have spent so much time running through. His face is blurred but Skye has never felt safer than in his arms, a kiss against her forehead has her stretching and waking up further._

_‘’I swear if it’s six a.m. I’m going to slap you’’._

_A rumble of laughter spreads through his chest and she feels it against her cheek, ‘’it’s nine’’._

_Rising up just a little she places a kiss against his pulse point, ‘’are we staying in bed today or have you planned another surprise? I didn’t even get you anything for this stupid trip’’._

_‘’I don’t need anything’’._

_Cuddling closer to his chest she replies, ‘’I could get you a dog, or buy land here, you’d want to live in Scotland right?’’_

_They arrived in Scotland a few days ago and since then he’s had a gift for her in hand, planned a romantic picnic, or taken her to beautiful historical landmarks._

_‘’I’m fine Skye, really’’._

_‘’No you’re not, you have a shitty excuse for a wife. You’re doing all these sweet things for me and spoiling me with romantic gestures, and I can’t even buy you a damn slow globe or some other stupid present you get while traveling’’._

_His arms tighten around her, ‘’first of all you are not a shitty wife’’._

_‘’But’’-_

_‘’I’m serious, please don’t ever think that. I don’t need a snow globe or a keychain or anything else, just you on this trip for me is enough’’._

_He hovers above her and folds his arms on either side of her head, chest pressed against hers, those swirling whiskey eyes giving her all his attention, ‘’I don’t need presents, just you’’._

_‘’Gross’’._

_Smiling he kisses her and she holds onto his biceps, ‘’ten years of being together and you still manage to say all the right things’’._

_Laughing he kisses her again, ‘’I love you’’._

_Dragging her fingernails up his spine she asks, ‘’what time do we need to leave?’’_

_‘’An hour’’._

_Wrapping both legs around his hips she replies, ‘’we should probably make it two’’._

_They’re nearly late to whatever he has planned but manage to make it on time._

_Skye stares at the landscape before her, rolling hills and a crumbling building that’s still beautiful even after hundreds of years. Midhope Castle is a popular tourist attraction thanks to a book series that Skye has started to read and fallen in love with. Her husband, knowing this, brought her to a setting that used both in the book and TV series where the two main characters being to fall in love with one another. The air is chilly and people chatter loudly and take a million pictures, but it’s perfect._

_He holds her from behind and she’s so warm between their coats and scarves, holding his hands that rest against her stomach. A girl a few feet away is talking about Jamie, the male lead in the book and how dreamy he is, how much he adored his wife Claire and his epic romantic declarations of love, when Skye looks up to her husband. Sometimes it’s unreal how caring he is, how gentle and considerate he can be after the life he’s led._

_If anyone on this planet deserves to be happy and loved it’s him, Skye turns so they’re facing one another and kisses his nose, ‘’I love you’’._

_The sun peaks out from the clouds framing his hair and the glow of his skin, ‘’ten years together and I still fall in love with you more every single day’’._

_Tears prick her eyes, Skye never thought she’d ever find someone to love her, and here he is flesh and bone with a wedding ring that matches her own on his left hand._

_‘’You’re going to make me cry in front of all these people’’._

_His fingers drift down her cheek, ‘’you know a hundred years with you wouldn’t be long enough, I’d need at least ten lifetimes’’._

_She laughs and touches his face, ‘’you’d get sick of me’’._

_But he shakes his head and rests his forehead against her own, ‘’even when we’re both six feet under and I can’t hold you, I’ll never stop loving you’’._

_Skye watches as his face comes fully into view backed by sun rays and golden leaves of fall, Grant Ward practically glowing in front of her as she kisses him._

_‘’How am I supposed to respond to that? Stop upstaging me’’._

_Laughing, his lips brush across her forehead and she replies, ‘’I won’t stop loving you either’’._

_Later when they leave Scotland and are heading somewhere else for their ten year anniversary vacation, Skye snags a small embroidered pillow and hides it in Ward’s suitcase. It’s a famous quote from the Outlander series but resonates with both Skye and Ward, their relationship._

_‘’Your face is my heart, and the love of you is my soul’’._

_Grant definitely cried when he unpacked in Ireland and found it resting between his socks and shirts._

Skye comes back to reality with the feel of Ward’s hands on her cheeks and him calling her name. Blinking, her kitchen comes into view, the winter air drifting through the open patio doors, Grant looking at with a concern in his eyes she’s never seen before. She knew it, she knew he was the one in these dreams, nothing else makes sense. But why, why him, what do they mean? Is she hallucinating a life she wants with him? Maybe she’s just going insane.

The realization of Ward being her husband in these fantasies really rocks her, that they love each other so much in her head and he’d literally do anything for her. The Grant in front of her is not the same man she sees at night, like they’re completely different people and she has no idea what happened to make him into the love sick moron he is in her brain. But it feels right that he’s there in a different reality and he’s here now, like it’s meant to be.

‘’Are you alright? Did I hurt you?’’

It takes a second to fall from the cloud of bliss she was just on and focus on what Ward is saying, how he’s checking her pulse and keeps repeating the same question.

Skye grabs ahold of his wrists, ‘’I’m fine’’.

His thumbs stroke her cheeks, ‘’you froze up and had this look on your face’’.

He trails off and Skye can’t help but compare the man in front of her to the one she just saw, these overwhelming emotions barreling into her chest and she wants nothing more than to hold onto him tightly.

So that’s what she does, wraps herself around him and kisses him until it’s not enough, then he’s carrying her to the couch and she’s yanking off he’s shirt and it’s perfect until a knock at the door sounds. Skye hisses to ignore it and Ward seems happy to oblige, until it starts up again, then stops, then starts. Then a voice calls on the other side and kills the mood altogether, Maria Hill says her name and it’s like a bucket of ice water.

Ward untangles himself from her arms looking reluctant to do so, hands Skye her shirt and puts his own on, fixes his hair. Sighing Skye composes herself and throws open the door, doesn’t even get a word in before Hill is pushing her way into the penthouse. Ward is sitting at the kitchen island looking completely innocent and blended into the space, you would have never guessed by his face and body language that they almost fucked before Maria walked in.

Skye stands by the couch as Hill asks what Ward is doing here, before he can answer Skye steps in, ‘’why are you here? Unless it’s to give me a drink or a vacation, get out’’.

Maria turns and gives her a look full of loathing, one they’re both used to, ‘’if you would answer your phone I wouldn’t have to track you down at all’’.

‘’I’m not a toddler I don’t need a babysitter, and I don’t have to answer you at all’’.

‘’You do if you want to keep working with Shield’’.

‘’Oh bite me’’.

Before she can piss Hill off, Ward intervenes, ‘’did you need us Agent Hill?’’

‘’I do actually, congratulations, you two have a mission’’.

She hands Ward a file, ‘’your target is a tech billionaire’’-

‘’oh my god is it Tony?’’

‘’No’’, Maria deadpans, she’s never found Stark funny and it’s the same with Skye.

‘’We think he’s trying to steal technology from Shield, attempting to acquire blueprints and designs, but we need proof. I need you two to get it’’.

‘’Yes ma’am’’.

‘’When you say get proof do you mean’’-

‘’Don’t torture him’’.

‘’Boo, fun killer’’.

‘’Quake I need you to hack into his computer system’’-

‘’I know what to do I don’t need you to tell me’’.

Maria turns to Ward, ‘’Quake will get into his party this afternoon disguised as a guest, Ward you’ll be there as backup and to take care of the target’s personal security if it comes down to it’’.

‘’Wait why can’t Ward be the lamb led into the slaughter and I be the muscle?’’

‘’Because our target will open up more to a woman’’.

‘’Aw Maria is that your way of calling me pretty?’’

Hill sighs and puts her hands on her hips, ‘’I miss the days when Romanoff kept you a secret in her basement’’.

‘’First of all it was luxury townhouses and safe houses that looked like castles so’’.

Ward interjects again, ‘’we’ll get it done, what’s the target’s name?’’

‘’Ian Quinn’’.

After Skye was locked in a lab and forced to become Inhuman, she lost pieces of herself and others were glued to her spine in order to survive. She was never violent or prone to anger very quickly beforehand, but afterwards, her temper could be ignited in a second. She could bring buildings down if the mood struck her, stop a handful of beating hearts in a room if someone upset her. If someone wronged her they would more than likely be killed for it.

Quake learned that rage is a quiet thing, always simmering below the surface for her waiting to be set off. Sometimes it’ll be something small or nothing at all, but that black shimmering darkness Whitehall put inside her explodes and she loses control. That hasn’t happened since the fiasco at the beach, maybe it was long overdue. Whatever the reason hearing Ian Quinn’s name tears through Skye’s chest, a violent burning feeling courses through her entire body, images appear before her.

She’s never even met Ian Quinn before but her mind produces his face laughing cruelly as Skye is tied up somewhere, she sees him bleeding below her saying how she’ll never win, pictures his dead body below her feet. And she knows somewhere deep in her bones the rage isn’t for herself, it’s because Quinn must have done something terrible to someone she cares about. Another image flashes, someone in a containment module sobbing, a stranger with blonde hair coming at Quake with a piece of sharp glass.

It’s a blur of broken limbs, falling through a window, blood smeared on her face then Ward’s, then it all changes into something far more sinister. Instead of this Ian Quinn pointing a gun at her it’s Grant, with dead eyes and no emotion on his face, his hands around her throat, then his fingers grabbing, twisting her shoulder so hard he dislocates it. Quinn bragging about brain washing somebody and how Skye must hate herself over it, then he stops gloating when her fist meets his face.

Skye feels her hands clenched tightly at her sides, she blinks rapidly to find the apartment building rumbling and Hill holding onto the couch, while Ward who actually looks shaken is at her hip trying to calm her down. Quake has no idea why she’s actually upset, she’s never seen Quinn before he’s never done anything to hurt her, at least not here anyway. But in another time, wherever these dreams are taking place, Skye has a feeling he did something awful.

Regulating her breathing like Nat taught her, it takes several minutes to calm down, Ward’s hand on her back offering support helps more than he probably knows. Closing her eyes she eventually regains control and her powers take a back seat, humming like always but no longer overwhelming. Ward asks if she’s alright, his fingers brushing the back of her knuckles and she focuses on his eyes, swimming with a worry he shouldn’t have about her yet.

Once everyone is recovered Hill grills Skye on her mental state if she can handle this, if not they’ll have to call in someone else but they all know no one can hack into Quinn’s system but her. Tony would do it but he’s out of town and they need to be on site for this, apparently Hill is assured Skye can handle it because she leaves without a word, slamming the door on her way out, ignores Skye’s yell about how rude it is to slam a door in someone else’s house.

‘’Are you sure you’re alright?’’ Ward is holding her so close like someone is about to jump through the window and take her from him, Skye nods and does another round of personal inventory. Besides the anger in her blood which she has full control over now, she’s fine. Confused, but sane, that strong of a reaction rarely ever happens, she’s trembling slightly but Ward doesn’t mention it.

‘’Want to tell me what that was about?’’ How can she ever admit to anyone what’s going on? They’ll think she’s insane, put her in a mental institute. But the way Ward is looking at her with calm understanding and a tiny bit of anger in his eyes as well, she thinks about caving. Does he know Ian Quinn personally? Does hate for this stranger also run through his veins, are they both having these uncalled for emotional reactions and Grant is just better about hiding it?

A whisper in the back of her mind says that Quinn deserves to bleed and she should be the one to make it happen, Skye rests against Ward’s chest and thinks of Barton and Banner and how disappointed they’d be if she keeps up this violent streak she’s got going. It helps. After going through a brief on the mission, another check in with Hill and joining their team, they board a Shield jet and Skye gets ready in a small chrome bathroom.

The plan is to dress her up, bat her eyelashes at Ian (they thought makes her want to vomit) get into his office, hack into his system, get what they need, then slip out hopefully undetected. Skye managed to get an Evite to his exclusive party through several back channels and using her old connections with the Rising Tide, something Ward wasn’t a fan of, apparently he’s had dealings with the organization in the past and they ended badly.

Slipping on a pink dress with a low neckline and tan heels, Skye stares at herself in the small mirror and hates what she sees. It’s not the face staring back at her with mascara and lipstick, it’s the monster inside that Whitehall invented and the chaos she feeds off of. Whatever Ian Quinn did to her in her brain, Skye wants to make him suffer for it, even if it isn’t real or it happened fifty years ago, there’s a feeling in her lungs that says to crush him, make him scream for mercy.

And she won’t give it.

Skye isn’t the only one who is strung tight when they land, Ward has been fuming silently in the cockpit the whole flight over, not even her outfit causing enough distraction for him. When this is over she’ll ask if he irrationally hates Quinn too, something tells her he does, but does he know why? Can he shed some light on the situation? They break off into groups, Grant tells her to be careful and call if she needs anything, if she feels even slightly off they’ll leave and try again another time.

Skye steps into the party and can’t help but compare it to some of Tony Stark’s, though his are far more luxurious and extravagant, but they hold the same meaning. A bunch of rich assholes get together to talk about how to spend their money, all trying to grovel and impress the host. Plucking a glass of sweet champagne off a shiny silver tray, she glides between bodies dressed in the finest silks and jewelry and seeks out the target.

Finds him in two minutes, Ian Quinn in a perfectly pressed suit and Italian loafers laughing at something that probably isn’t even funny. Hair styled in waves off to the side, manicured finger nails and a couple golden rings on his right hand, if asshole needed a picture by it in the dictionary, you’d find Ian Quinn’s. That anger flickers to life when his eyes meet her own, turns into little flames burning her skin when he gives her a long once over as she approaches.

‘’Excuse me I don’t believe we’ve met, Ian Quinn’’.

He holds out a hand and smiles, it’s supposed to leave her breathless but she feels nauseous instead.

‘’Daisy’’.

She hates using her real name but because of the connections Quinn has, if he finds out who she really is and that she’s working with Shield, it’s something the organization would like to avoid.

The world doesn’t need to know they’ve got the most powerful person on earth in their inventory.

‘’It’s a pleasure to meet you Daisy, but I don’t remember your name being on my list’’.

She smiles at the people around him, ‘’that’s because I got in with a friend, you may know them the Rising Tide’’.

He smiles, his teeth far too white and blinding to be natural, ‘’ah yes I’m a fan of their work. How excited are you to hear my speech this afternoon?’’

‘’Very’’.

And with that, the trap works.

Skye schmoozes her way right into his hands and hates every single second of it. Every minute is filled with agonizing pain as she fights to control her powers, reign them in so they crash inside of her instead of the party, she can feel them stretching and pulling at her muscles, no bruises yet but if she’s not careful her skin will soon blossom black and blue. Three glasses of champagne and one god awful speech later, she finally makes it to his office.

Excused herself to find the bathroom, used the cameras to find Quinn’s office and her powers came in handy to unlock the French doors.

His office is exactly what she pictured; a desk three sizes too big made of cherry wood, three large computers with amazing screens though the tech pales in comparison to Tony Stark’s, a bar, a patio, pristine leather couch, large coffee table and a fur rug. Douchebag, at least when Iron Man flaunts his money he’s not an asshole about it. Anymore. Skye informs Ward she’s in the office and heads straight for the desk, easily hacks into the computers.

‘’Almost done’’.

‘’That was fast’’.

‘’God Ward don’t sound so surprised, remember who you’re talking to’’.

While the locked files are loading and opening she digs through the drawers while simultaneously checking the camera feed.

‘’He doesn’t have anything remotely interesting in this stupid desk’’.

‘’What were you hoping to find?’’

‘’I don’t know, porn, a layout of all his stupid evil plans, something to entertain myself’’.

Ward’s reply is tuned out when those files open up and emails are revealed.

Skye is shocked for a moment before the promise of violence takes over, ‘’holy shit Ward’’.

‘’What? Are you okay?’’

‘’Quinn isn’t stealing from Shield, he’s making some kind of weapon or machine, I knew that rich little asshole was up to something’’.

‘’Wait what kind of weapon?’’

‘’Do I look like Fitz to you? I don’t know, but the file is labeled Gravitonium’’.

‘’Shit’’.

‘’I’m assuming you know what that means?’’

‘’It means Ian Quinn is going to be arrested today’’.

‘’I call dibs’’.

‘’Skye you can’t’’-

She drums her fingernails on the com in her ear, ‘’oh I can’t hear you, you’re breaking up’’.

Shuts it off and transfers everything on Ian’s computer to a small flash drive that she slips in her bra, sets up a little surprise for Quinn’s network when she’s done.

If anyone including his employee or peers tries to access it, they get a nice little virus.

The weapon or whatever the hell it is being kept downstairs in a secure bunker, after sending a text to Ward because her com is still off, she heads down to see what’s got his boxers in a twist. The room is locked thanks to a fingerprint and rental scanner, both which fall victim to her powers which will more than likely alert Quinn that she’s here, two birds one stone. The space is empty except for one lone scientist who she knocks out and leaves resting on a desk. 

Gravitonium is this ball of energy being held together by two rings of a machine, chrome colored she can feel it’s off vibrations in her palms, it feels sticky in her skin like it’s trying to sink into her. Shuddering Skye video chats both Tony and Bruce and puts their screens up in front of her on display, so she’s facing both them and this machine she’s thinking about destroying.

‘’Hi Cupcake’’.

‘’You look nice Skye’’.

‘’What do you two geniuses know about Gravitonium?’’

They answer at the same time, ‘’it’s an extremely rare high-atomic numbered element’’.

‘’English’’.

‘’If someone was successful they could control gravity’’.

‘’Why didn’t you ever create it?’’

She asks Tony who rolls his eyes, ‘’I did five years ago but destroyed it and my work, there are some things the human race shouldn’t get their hands on’’.

‘’How did you destroy it?’’

‘’How do you think?’’

He used his suit, but she may not have time for him to fly all the way here to do it. 

‘’Why do you ask?’’

‘’Skye what are you up to? Are you going to do something stupid that Nat and I will have to clean up? I don’t mind but a little warning would be nice’’.

Flexing her fingers she stares past them at the machine, ‘’how do you think Gravitonium would react to my powers?’’

The two Avengers stare at her, ‘’Skye my favorite in the entire world, please tell me you aren’t going to do what I think you’re going to do’’.

‘’I may or may not be standing in front of a machine holding Gravitonium right now, courtesy of Ian Quinn inventing it in his basement’’.

‘’I knew I hated that guy’’.

‘’I’m going to see if I can destroy it, if this kills me tell Nat I love her’’.

‘’Oh my god’’.

It’s Bruce who responds calmly, ‘’I don’t think it’ll kill you but you could be injured, please don’t risk anything that could hurt you’’.

‘’Cupcake I swear to god if you make me pick you up at a hospital I won’t speak to you ever again’’.

‘’Dramatic, I’m keeping you on the line so if I die you two will be the last ones I see’’.

‘’I hate you so much right now’’.

‘’Skye that’s really unnecessary’’.

‘’Also don’t let Clint have my room at Stark Tower, I know he’s always wanted it’’.

Shutting out the running commentary and panic from Banner and Stark, Skye holds out a hand her powers stretching, reaching, and is immediately met with resistance but it doesn’t consume her. This machine this creation is no match for her, she dominates the silver mass with just a twitch of her wrist. Sweat builds on her brow and by the time a Shield agent comes through the door she’s destroyed it. It breaks apart with a loud bang then fizzles out, the machine shatters, leaving nothing behind.

‘’Congratulations on giving me a heart attack for the fifth time this week!’’

‘’Nice work Skye, how do you feel?’’

Breathing just a little labored she replies, ‘’fine, though I have a feeling Shield probably wanted that weapon for themselves’’.

‘’You’d be right’’.

The agent answers, stepping into the room.

‘’We need to go, Quinn knows you’re down here’’.

At the mention of Ian that familiar hatred starts to run up her spine.

She must get this look on her face because Bruce nonchalantly taps his wrist, reminding her of the heart monitor strapped to her wrist, to breathe and calm down.

‘’Ian Quinn is an amateur who thinks he’s a gift to the earth, don’t worry about him’’.

‘’Wasn’t going to, got to go love you guys’’.

She ends the chat and walks away, kicking off her heels in the process and tossing them out a nearby window.

Once outside towards the back of the mansion where Quinn’s party is being held, the other agents that came with her have Ian in handcuffs about to put him into a Shield SUV. The smirk on his face like he’s going to get away from this without a scratch has Skye clenching her fists. She asks where Ward is and the agents respond on his way back, Skye faces Quinn and his smirk falters. 

‘’I destroyed your little machine’’.

‘’That’s impossible’’.

‘’Not really, want to see?’’

She shows him footage from the lab she was just in and Quinn pales, ‘’your grab for world domination is over’’.

‘’How did you do that? It was impossible to destroy unless you were Iron Man’’.

‘’Apparently not’’.

He starts laughing and an image comes to mind, him smiling through the blood in his teeth, this anger and pain flares up her chest, this deep hatred for the man in front of her and Skye just listens to the voice in her head that says to make him scream. She throws back her arm and punches him in the jaw, shakes off the two agents who scold her. 

Quinn curses, ‘’the hell was that for?’’

But it’s not Skye who responds, though the words tumble from her lips it feels as if they belong to someone else, to the person he must have hurt in a past life.

‘’You hurt someone I love, I can’t let you live for that’’.

‘’I don’t know who you are!’’

‘’You’re about to’’.

No one knows who decides on what powers a Gifted Individual gains, but Skye knew without even Whitehall telling her, hers were designed for destruction and chaos. She could either use them for good or evil and most of the time good wins out. But not right now. Right now as she directs all the emotions of today at Quinn, everything inside of her screams for his death, that he truly caused someone she loved pain and needs to suffer because of it. 

The world shrinks down to Ian Quinn’s cries for help, his shrieks of agony, the sound of his bones breaking, his blood spilling out on the ground. It only lasts for a few seconds before the other Shield agents come into view and they’ve got ICERs pointed at her chest and are commanding her to calm down, she simply waves them away and continues. Until strong arms wrap around her body, a familiar chest pressed against her back, Ward’s soothing voice in her ear. 

The mania stops, the voice in her head calms then turns silent as Ward keeps speaking in French then German, no idea what he’s saying but it does the trick. The world comes back into view in the form of trees ripped out and swept away by her powers, craters and cracks in the ground all around them, the Shield SUV’s shattered beyond repair, the mansion behind them with every window broken and people fleeing in terror.

Quinn lies bleeding in the dirt groaning and crying, keeping a hold on her waist Ward checks for his pulse and almost sighs in relief to find he’s still alive. He calls for backup and an extraction team as they hide from prying eyes, though most everyone is gone now. Skye takes a deep breath and finds that she feels better, physically at least. That bitterness has left her system on account of the violence, Quinn may not be dead (yet) but he got what he deserved. 

Emotionally she still wants him in the ground.

‘’I leave you alone for two minutes’’.

Ward comments when they’re back in the air via jet and another team has taken Ian away.

Skye goes off a hunch as she sits across from him in a leather seat, ‘’you hate Ian Quinn as much as I do’’.

Surprise flickers in his eyes briefly before it vanishes, ‘’I don’t know what you’re talking about’’.

‘’Yes you do. I saw your face this morning when Hill said his name’’.

‘’What difference does it make? I’m not the one who almost killed him’’.

Quake crosses your legs, ‘’no, but you wanted to’’.

If she can’t rely on any other truth about Ward, she can count on that one. 

After briefing both Hill and Fury on what happened, Fury lectures Quake for half an hour, Ward is scolded as well though only briefly, since he actually did his job and didn’t lose his shit like some people. It sets off a chain of events, Tony yelling at Fury for yelling at Skye, Ward beating the hell out of a punching bag for two hours while Skye showers and heads to the bar down the street. She’s coming out of the bathroom an hour after arriving to find Ward sitting in the stool beside her own, beer in hand. 

She joins him, lightly kicks his shin, ‘’on a scale of one to ten how mad are you at me?’’

A whisper drifts through her mind that makes her ache, _‘’how much do you love me? Like if you had to put it on a scale from one to ten, how much?’’_

_‘’Sweetheart there’s no scale you could use to measure how much I love you, it wouldn’t be enough’’._

Ward takes a sip of beer, ‘’I’m not mad’’.

‘’Really? Because the scowl on your face earlier said otherwise’’.

Turning to look at her those whiskey eyes sad then turn unreadable, ‘’you were right about Quinn’’.

‘’Duh’’.

‘’I just don’t understand why’’.

‘’Me either’’.

When the bar tender isn’t looking she swipes a bottle of her favorite scotch and tucks it in her bag.

Before Ward can throw a tantrum she places a twenty on the bar, ‘’my place is closer, want to head there?’’

Grant shakes his head, ‘’I’ve had a bad day, don’t really feel like talking’’.

‘’Who said anything about talking?’’

He raises and eyebrow then reads into her suggestion, and without a word places cash for his drink in the jar, follows her as she walks out. 

And they finished the day the way they nearly started it, wrapped in each other’s arms.


	13. That Girl Has Laid A Curse On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ward and Skye continue to navigate through what they want from each other, and an encounter with Garrett ends in a way Ward has most feared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOOD LORD I never thought I'd update this chapter, but there a lot of cute Skyeward moments here that I loved writing.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

_‘’I love you’’._

_The words are murmured low in the dark, though the bedroom is cold there’s so much warmth in between skin and blankets, arms wrapped around shoulders and noses pressed against biceps. Ward strokes Skye’s hair, still finds it hard to believe that someone in the world loves him, even with the engagement ring on her finger and the knowledge that she’s not going to leave him in the middle of the night, the doubt likes to creep in._

_Even with her promises and declarations of undying love, the voices in his head are still hard to combat. Blame the childhood trauma, his parents and older brother telling him that he’d never be worthy of anyone loving him, or how he grew up without any kind of love at all. Either way, no one has ever said the words to him before, no one besides Skye has ever felt this way about him, being with her is like a warm cup of coffee on a cool winter’s morning, curling into a warm blanket in front of a fireplace._

_She’s home and he’s never had that before, this sense of belonging, for Ward’s entire life he’s felt unworthy as if he didn’t deserve to be happy or to make anyone else happy. But that’s not the case anymore, he’s escaped the demons of his past, overcame the people who wished him harm and has come out on the other side healthy and whole. Skye runs her fingers down his chest before kissing the space over his heart and he swears heaven is right here in his arms._

_‘’Can I ask you something?’’_

_‘’If you want to go again you’re going to have to do all the work while I lay here, I honestly don’t think I can move’’._

_Laughing and feeling a little smug which she pinches him for, Ward kisses her forehead._

_‘’It’s not sex related’’._

_At the sudden seriousness in his tone she sobers up, ‘’okay’’._

_‘’Why do you love me?’’_

_He’s not fishing for compliments or needing to be annoyingly reassured, he’s genuinely curious and just doesn’t understand._

_Why she loves him, how he can be found loveable in her eyes._

_The words, her behavior towards him, are the greatest gifts anyone has ever given him._

_Skye, knowing all this and how his brain works, snuggles closer._

_‘’Well for one thing you’re gorgeous’’._

_The tips of his ears turn red and she grins, traces his jawline, ‘’you’re adorable and kind, you make me laugh, you always see the good in people even when it’s not there, and you’re so strong, the strongest person I know. After everything you’ve been through you didn’t let any of that bitterness or hatred consume you or destroy your life, you’re honorable and brilliant, and you have the best heart’’._

_‘’I wouldn’t say’’-_

_‘’I’m not done. I love you because you always respect me and the choices I make, you don’t hold grudges even though you should, you say you aren’t romantic but you remember what I like and the way I make my coffee without asking, you forgive people even when they don’t deserve it. You’re protective and would defend anyone you care about without a second thought, you aren’t perfect but you’re the closest thing I’ve ever seen to it. You’re my best friend, you’re the person I want to grow old with’’._

_He might cry, his throat is thick and emotions are bubbling to the surface too fast for him to catch._

_‘’Also the sex is hands down the best I’ve ever had, I’m not going to give that up’’._

_Laughing loudly which was her intention, Grant kisses her._

_‘’When I was a kid my mother used to say no one would ever love me, Christian too’’._

_Ward doesn’t want to think about his family but they’re right there pressing on his brain, their cruel words taunting and painful._

_Skye rolls so she’s straddling him, her hair creating a dark curtain around their faces._

_‘’Fuck them and anyone else who ever told you that you were unlovable’’._

_Her tone is sharp, laced with fury that won’t do any good now, but he loves her all the same for it._

_‘’What kind of monster tells a child that?’’_

_‘’The perfect All American Ward family’’._

_She cups his face her brown eyes burning, ‘’I love you, Kebo loves you and so do the Avengers, your shitty family and John Garrett never deserved you, neither did Shield while we’re on the subject’’._

_He needs no reminders of the organization’s feelings towards him._

_Brushing her hair over her shoulder Ward smiles, those ghosts cowering as they always do when Skye is around._

_‘’I love you too’’._

_She leans down to kiss him and mutters against his lips, ‘’you’re a good man Grant Ward, the best one I know’’._

_That’s another thing he has a hard time believing, but perhaps with time, one day he’ll know it’s true just as she does._

Sex has never meant anything to Grant. Not since he was fifteen and certainly not all these years later in his adult life. It’s always been meaningless and unemotional, no matter if it was a personal interaction or for a mission with Shield, it ended the same way. Get what he wants and then leaves before the sun rises, no feelings attached, everything clinical and unproblematic so he never has to worry about it. That’s how it’s always been, an itch to scratch, a warm body against his own, a way to shut off his brain for a while.

Numb the pain that is always present though he refuses to acknowledge it, stop the fear of Garrett dying just for a moment, one second where he doesn’t have to worry about the only father figure he’s ever known leaving him. So he’s used people and they’ve used him in turn, it’s all been meaningless and impersonal and he had no intentions of changing it. If he had to attach something to it, he’d say it’s been a blue color, nothing pretty or neat, just a muted hue in the shades of gray that make up his life.

But waking up this morning with golden patches of light breaking through the curtains and falling on tan skin, he’d say now that sex is the color of the sun. Warm and inviting caressing him with a kind of gentle tenderness he’s never experienced before, his scalp aches from his hair being pulled and tugged, there’s a welcoming bit of soreness in his back from fingernails scraping down skin. The night passed in a blur of hands on his hips, sweat drenched sheets, soft hair in between his fingers, sighs against his lips.

He never sleeps with someone he picked up the night before, always sneaking out before they wake. But last night wasn’t normal and Skye isn’t some random woman he plans to never see again. Her bed is soft and full of feather pillows and two down comforters, he’s pretty sure these sheets are the highest thread count you can buy, Ward wants to linger in this mattress for more reasons than one. Opening both eyes and drinking in his surroundings Grant registers Skye’s body plastered against his.

Her low breathing and the rise and fall of her chest, the blankets covering most of her bare skin, but one of her arms is resting on his stomach, her head over his heart. The dream still fresh in his mind, Ward never wants to leave this bed, this moment, he’d die happily right now if the world were to end. Which isn’t supposed to happen, sleeping with Skye was supposed to be about John and nothing else, no personal feelings involved.

Except when he kissed her last night and ran his lips up her thighs it had nothing to do with Garrett, just like when he helped with her reaction to Ian Quinn yesterday, John wasn’t the main reason why he did it. Soothing her anger and hatred just seemed like a natural reflex, something he’d done a thousand times before, didn’t even have to think about it. The thought of Quinn has him burning again, yesterday as soon as the other man’s name was mentioned Grant felt like his blood was on fire.

And he has no reason for it, yesterday was the first time he met Ian, and since he’s one of many tools in Garrett’s arsenal, Ward should keep him alive and feel impassive towards him. But Skye was right, he hates Ian Quinn for things lost to him at the moment, as if in that other life he dreams about something terrible happened and its Quinn’s fault. Skye stirs and Ward relaxes his tense shoulders, straining to read his watch on the nightstand that reads six a.m.

Never one to sleep in even after a night of passion Ward is surprised but not in a rush to go anywhere, everything he wants is right here asleep on top of him. Knowing she has food in the fridge he’s thinking about what to make for breakfast when she moves again but doesn’t wake, the blanket falling and revealing more of her bare shoulder, and for a second her skin blurs and he swears there should be a scar on this part of her body.

Right between the freckles that dust muscle and bone, a raised white scar from a knife should be there, small but noticeable, just like there should be a much larger one beside her collar bone. As if someone got entirely too close to killing her, the shadow of the wound should stretch widely across the skin, stitched up and put back together as if it never happened, it should be ragged and messy. But Skye remains unblemished against him and his head clears back to the present.

Her bedroom isn’t as cluttered like he was expecting, now that he has the chance to observe it. There are three laptops on the floor, two Stark tablets on the nightstand and dresser, a couple energy drinks by the bathroom door, a leather jacket by the window, some shirts and socks tucked into the mattress. Way tamer than he thought, the Daenerys Targaryen throw blanket sits folded on the end of the king size bed, he wonders what season of Game of Thrones she’s on and how she feels about Jamie Lannister.

He’s thinking about that dream and the way she kissed him then and last night, how it was similar but different too, when he decides to do his job before she wakes up. Not that he thinks she’s hiding a secret cure for Garrett in her apartment but he needs to do some recon. Skye could easily become his enemy if Hydra really does come out of the shadows and he should prepare for that, look for any weaknesses to exploit, anything he could use against her.

Slipping out of bed soundlessly he puts on his boxer briefs and keeps the bedroom door open slightly so he can hear if she gets up. Skye’s apartment is the messiest he’s ever seen it, like a bomb went off inside and instead of blood and debris, it’s stacks of papers strewn all over the living room floor. Various tablets and laptops spread out on couches and counter tops, empty cans of energy drinks piled in the sink, lime slices and salt beside the fridge.

The patio doors are open letting in the cold front that came in yesterday, it’s snowing hard this morning, puddles have formed on the wood floors from melted snowflakes, some make it onto the carpet and leave wet patches. He turns the thermostat up and waits for the heating to kick back in, closes and locks the patio doors, knows that the cameras she and Tony Stark have set up are off because she doesn’t want him to see her nightly activities.

Stepping over a pizza box he looks in the living room first but comes up empty, just finds a few guns and a screwdriver. The laptops would be impossible to break into and even if he were to get into her system she’d be able to tell what he looked up and what time. The coffee table reveals a weakness he already knows, a couple pictures in frames of her and the Avengers, though a piece of paper is wedged in between them, small and ripped like someone tore it out of a notebook.

Grabbing it he reads carefully, furthering his suspicions that Skye could be manic depressive, wonders if she’s been diagnosed.

_‘’Intoxicated with madness, I’m in love with my sadness’’._

Ward fingers the slightly wet piece of paper, the red ink smudged at the corners, the messy scrawl looks as if it was written with a shaky hand. Setting it back where it belongs he keeps digging and comes up with the same conclusion he’s had, Skye is a broken person looking for something , anyone to make her feel whole again, which is something he can work with and has been. Guilt swims in between his shoulder blades as he continues the search, pushing it aside isn’t as easy as he’d like it to be.

In one of the cabinets in the kitchen he finds another gun and an axe of all things, one of the drawers is still just full of knives. When he did this once before when he met Skye for the first time, he didn’t have time to look as extensively as he would have preferred, now he has it and doesn’t waste one second, though it’s futile. There’s nothing here to save John or further their job, Phil Coulson’s mysterious death and resurrection does not sit in the fridge or the marble countertops.

Getting out the ingredients for pancakes Ward butters a skillet with John heavy on his mind, not that he ever leaves. His brain stuck on the dream he had when Skye said Garrett never deserved him, the comment presses on something in his body, some small bit of light that he’s too afraid to let to the surface. A voice that sounds suspiciously like his own whispers that dream version of Skye is right, that she’s always right and he should stop lying to her now before it gets worse, before she turns on him.

He tells it to shut up because what he feels what he wants doesn’t matter, it’s never mattered, the only thing he lives for is to save Garrett, it’s why he saved him from a life of jail, it’s why he left fifteen year old him in the woods, it’s why he joined Shield. He exists for John, breathes, eats and fires a gun for John, for the first person who ever gave a damn about him, without Garrett Ward is nothing, he has no purpose, no life and no future.

Which is why Skye can never truly be his, why the blissful hours of last night where she touched him like she knew every piece of his soul, when her lips traced each inch of his skin as if she worshipped every muscle, can only continue to happen if John allows it, because in the end Ward will do whatever he says. Even if that means giving up someone he can’t stop dreaming about, he wants more nights of her marking his back like he belongs to her, more endless stretches of time where all he can feel and see is her.

Continuing his search Ward heads to the hall bathroom and only finds a gun, a bottle of pain killers and cotton balls. Silently he tries the one in Skye’s personal bathroom in her room, the marble tile floor and large glass shower gives him flashbacks to his mother’s bathroom at the Ward estate. Ignoring those ghosts he checks the medicine cabinet to find t’s filled with pocket knives, gauze, bandages, empty boxes of alcohol swabs and tampons.

Under the sink lies an unloaded gun, cleaning supplies and a Stark tablet that has seen better days. Listening to see if she wakes, Ward does another sweep and only comes up with towels and expensive male shampoo in the shower. He’s just eyeing it and doesn’t think anything of the product when he hears Skye being to stir, her feet padding towards the open door. Since he never sleeps over after sex and he suspects Skye is the same way, he’s expecting her to be surprised to find him here.

She comes into view with mused hair wearing his shirt that he threw on the floor last night, the green Henley looks a thousand times better on her than it does him. Yawning Skye walks into the room and gives him a sleepy smile, and times just seems to stop. Like it’s suspended in the air, giving him a second to drink her in fully so he can memorize every line of her face, the way her brown eyes look against the sunlight streaming through the window, how soft she feels underneath his mouth and his fingers.

Robbed of breath for a moment Ward just stands there and swears she’s going to ruin him, that he will never recover from her, the thought doesn’t make his survival instincts flare up or cause him to panic. Instead he gives her a genuine smile and she matches the expression, brushes her teeth and tosses him an extra toothbrush fresh from the package.

‘’You’re staring’’.

She comments as his eyes meet hers in the reflection of the mirror.

The response rolls off his tongue but Ward is not in control of it as if the words belong to someone else, ‘’am I not allowed to do that?’’

He wraps both arms around her and marvels at the way it feels right, how her body feels right against his, like it was meant to be.

‘’You can do whatever you want’’.

She mutters against his chest and then he’s kissing her as she turns on the shower.

Under the hot water and steam Ward watches Skye reach for the five hundred dollar shampoo bottle he was observing earlier, bringing him back to his family which is the last thing he wants to think about right now.

At his raised eyebrow she clarifies, ‘’it’s Tony’s, he’s a spoiled asshole’’.

‘’I don’t want to smell like Iron Man’’.

Skye laughs and it echoes in the closed quarters of the shower, making him smile.

She looks so carefree and young with her dark hair slicked back, the shadows absent from her face.

‘’it’s imported from Paris specifically for him. Imagine spending that kind of money on a bottle of shampoo? Sometimes I hate him’’.

She lathers her hair with it anyway and the air is filled with a spicy sweet scent, he rinses it out and massages her scalp.

‘’You do this for all the girls don’t you?’’

Her tone is teasing and he can tell the comment wasn’t made out of jealousy, just curiosity.

Bending so his lips graze the shell of her ear he responds, ‘’every single one’’.

She hums, ‘’it’s a wonder you’re still single’’.

‘’I’m not much of a team player’’.

The response was honest, Grant finds himself doing that a lot more with Skye.

Quake turns around, grabs another shampoo bottle and grins, ‘’literally everyone that has ever met you knows you’re a robot’’.

He lets her apply the soap to his hair and the way she touches him is so gentle, so tender in a way he’s never felt before his body starts to shake and he quickly regains control before she notices.

Eyes closed he revels her fingers in his scalp but immediately freezes up a second later when they drift down his neck to the back of his ear.

Years of reflexes has him grabbing her wrist and she laughs, ‘’superspy is ticklish’’.

‘’I am not’’.

‘’You know lying doesn’t suit you Agent Ward’’.

She has no idea who she’s really talking to and he’s not proud of it.

Before she can try it again he’s kissing her and pulling her under the hot water with him.

‘’How long do we have before we have to go back to the real world?’’

She asks her hands on his chest as he runs his down her hips.

Glancing at the waterproof watch on his wrist he replies, ''we have plenty of time''.

Her nails dig into his skin, ‘’plenty of time for what?’’

Her answer is him getting on his knees, the roar of the water hardly drowning out the sounds of pleasure.

Ward is flipping pancakes in a skillet when Skye asks from her stool at the kitchen counter, ‘’how old were you when you lost your virginity?’’

He nearly drops the spatula, ‘’excuse me?’’

‘’I was fifteen and it was in a McDonalds parking lot, let me guess yours was at your parents country club either in the bathroom or on the golf course’’.

It’s amazing how close she is, ‘’stables’’.

‘’I knew it! You really give off the ‘Senator’s Son’ vibes’’.

‘’Don’t let my father hear you say that’’.

‘’The entire Ward family can die in a fire for all I care’’.

There’s a fierceness to her voice that shouldn’t be there yet, it’s too soon she doesn’t really know him, but it reminds him of the version of her in his dreams and warmth spreads through his blood.

‘’As long as you spare my younger siblings, go ahead’’.

Ward grabs a plate and fills it with eggs and three pancakes, he’s setting it down on the counter when Skye suddenly, ‘’why are you still here?’’

He pauses filling up a coffee cup, unsettled, ‘’do you want me to leave?’’

‘’No I just meant you don’t strike me as the type to stick around and make breakfast’’.

‘’I’m not usually’’.

‘’You also don’t seem like the relationship type of guy’’.

‘’I’m not’’.

She gestures to the plate of food, to him in her kitchen shirtless and comfortable.

Grant has no answer for her, just that he feels peaceful here, for the first time he wants to stay in her bed in her arms, her life.

It’s too soon he’s falling too fast, this is about John, not him and how he feels.

So he simply shrugs, ‘’I want to be here with you’’.

‘’Okay’’.

He’s grabbing syrup, already knowing his way around her apartment, when something else comes to mind.

‘’We should probably talk about Shield’’.

Skye wrinkles her nose, ‘’gross’’.

‘’Now that you and I are’’-

He trails off unsure what to say, if they should put a label on it when Skye does it for him.

‘’Screwing, you can say it Ward’’.

‘’We should put some boundaries in place’’.

She puts down her coffee mug, ‘’okay, what did you have in mind?’’

Surprised she didn’t put up a fight or blow him off Ward replies, ‘’do you agree that we should keep both our professional and personal lives separate?’’

‘’The last thing I want is any more drama at Shield, so yes’’.

‘’I’m still going to have missions where I have to subdue a target by any means necessary, are you okay with that?’’

He knows Skye has had missions like those as well in the past, but isn’t going to bring it up out of respect.

‘’You mean you’re still going to fuck other people so Shield can get the information they want’’.

Her blunt response doesn’t faze him, ‘’yes’’.

‘’Do you not see how wrong that is?’’

He doesn’t, he was trained to get answers any way he can, ‘’it’s part of the job’’.

‘’It’s not worth it’’.

‘’You and I see things differently’’.

‘’Clearly’’.

‘’One more thing’’-

‘’Is this the part where you say we’re exclusive and give me your class ring?’’

His lips twitch, near laughter, ‘’no’’.

‘’I dropped out of high school anyway so’’.

‘’I was going to say that while I’m with you, I’m not going to be with anyone else’’.

Her eyes shine, ‘’your plethora of women will be so disappointed’’.

At that he bursts into laughter, leans over kisses the top of her head, didn’t have to think about it, as if it were a habit.

‘’I am not constantly surrounded by women’’.

Skye grabs his chin, ‘’you so are, have you seen yourself? With your face and those abs I’ll be beating them off with a stick’’.

He moves so he’s towering over her, Skye wraps her legs around his hips just as the sun hits her face, she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

Grant tells her this and she grins against his lips, ‘’you’re just trying to get laid again’’.

He's peeling off her shirt and then carrying her back to the bedroom, wanting this bliss to last forever.

In the years Ward has spent alone he’s learned one thing; moments are fleeting, they don’t last. Especially in his time at Shield, every second is a balancing act as if he’s constantly on the tip of a knife waiting to either be pulled back or fall into an abyss. Because he’s always wearing a mask, always on display as the agent with no feelings, the best Shield has never seen since Natasha Romanoff, Ward isn’t even a real person anymore and he’s not even sure who the man underneath all this false skin is.

He’s hurt people in the name of Shield, killed them for this organization that left Garrett to die, that will more than likely try to kill them if Hydra really does reveal themselves from the shadows. So knowing all of that is why he doesn’t linger in moments of time, because they don’t really matter, none of it is real. One day he could be in the middle of an artic wasteland all alone and the next a tropical location with a thousand other people.

Ward could be kissing someone one minute and burying them the next, which is one reason why he doesn’t form attachments, that and they’re a weakness. So he’s not sentimental, he doesn’t like to bask in moments that will turn into memories, he’s never been the type to want to stay in one place for very long. But for the first time in his life, lying in Skye’s bed with her head on his chest, Grant wants to make time stop so he can stay here for as long as possible.

He knows that he can’t and eventually they’ll have to face the real world, but he wants more mornings like this for as long as possible. He hopes that the fleeting moments with her lips on his neck last, how all he has to do is stretch just a little to reach her skin, how she laughs every time his mouth reaches her ribs. The sun continues to reach and spread through the curtains of her room and Skye is dozing on his chest, right here with her in his arms it’s like everything is perfect.

That dream comes back to him and it just feels like this was supposed to happen, they fit so well together almost as if it was meant to be, like he was made for her. Ward feels himself starting to drift off as he traces the shape of Skye’s bare shoulders, his last thought is that he never wants to leave this bed. Sometime later he wakes to the mattress shifting and Skye’s warmth leaving the sheets, opening one eye just slightly he sees her pick up her phone off the nightstand and leave the bedroom, keeping the door ajar.

‘’I was sleeping’’.

She hisses, and a moment later Tony Stark’s voice comes through, Ward assumes they’re on a video chat.

‘’Good morning to you too Cupcake’’.

‘’What do you want?’’

‘’Wow okay if you’re going to take that tone with me I’m not going to tell you what I found out’’.

There’s a beat of silence before she says, ‘’Tony can you please for once in your life not be dramatic?’’

‘’No’’.

‘’Is this about the Coulson thing?’’

Grant perks up at this, heat beats faster.

‘’Maybe if you’re nicer I’ll tell you’’.

‘’Dad’’.

‘’Fine, I did some research like you asked because I love you, and our dearest Agent Coulson did not spend weeks in Tahiti recovering from a stab wound’’.

‘’So where the hell was he?’’

‘’Like we already figured out he was dead for days not minutes, Fury must have done some messed up alien shit to bring him back’’-

‘’I already knew that’’.

‘’Excuse me I was talking, if you let me finish you would have heard that there’s a tight lipped rumor on a drug that has the Resurrection of Jesus Christ type of power, Fury never wanted anyone to find out about it’’.

‘’So how did you?’’

‘’Are you seriously asking me that question? Who am I?’’

‘’So you’re saying Phil Coulson was injected with a drug that brought him back to life, yet he thinks he was in Tahiti recovering from a stab wound. How is that possible?’’

‘’The only thing that makes sense is that they messed with his brain, put it in a blender or something so he wouldn’t question the ungodly lengths Shield went to in order to save him’’.

‘’You and I both know it wasn’t Shield, this was all Fury. But if it was a serum that brought him back do you have any idea how dangerous that is? If the wrong person got their hands on it’’-

‘’Right now it’s just a rumor that only Hill and Fury know about’’.

‘’God Coulson isn’t even worth all the trouble, he should have just stayed dead’’.

‘’Rude’’.

‘’Oh you know I’m right, I could think of a hundred other Shield agents that deserved to be brought back way more than Coulson’’.

‘’Why do you want to know about what happened to him anyway?’’

‘’Blame my Rising Tide days, if a government organization is hiding something shady from the world I want to know about it’’.

‘’I’m so proud of you’’.

She sighs and creeps closer to the bedroom, Ward feigns sleep just as he hears her feet on the wood floor.

‘’Hypothetical question’’.

Tony hesitates for just a second, ‘’oh god what did you do?’’

‘’I said hypothetical’’.

‘’Fine I’ll play along, what?’’

‘’If you were working with someone that you kind of hated but didn’t, and then you may or may not have slept with them and now you probably have feelings for them but you’re in denial and have to see them every day, how badly did you screw up?’’

‘’You can’t see me right now but I’m shuddering, I do not want to hear about you sleeping with Ward, gross’’.

‘’Nat didn’t text me back so I need someone to tell me that I’m not a terrible person’’.

‘’Why would you think being with Ward would make you a terrible person?’’

‘’Because it’s Ward’’.

‘’Elaborate’’.

‘’He’s like this annoying fragile puppy and I don’t want to ruin him like I do everyone else’’.

‘’First of all you do not ruin people’’.

‘’Literally everyone I come into contact with either dies or ends up hating me’’.

‘’That’s not true, we’re all still here and we love you, people just don’t understand you honey and that’s one them, not you, they’re afraid and lash out because they feel threatened’’.

‘’I didn’t ask for any of this, I didn’t ask for these powers or for Whitehall to kill my parents and give me PTSD’’.

‘’I know you didn’t, but what happened to you doesn’t make you weak, it doesn’t mean it’s your fault or that you deserve to be alone forever. You’re a good person Skye who is doing the best she can with the situation that was handed to her’’.

‘’Just because you and the rest of the Avengers understand that doesn’t mean everyone else will, doesn’t mean Ward will’’.

There’s a brief laugh from Stark, ‘’I’m pretty sure there’s nothing you could do that would make that man hate you. Have you seen the way he looks at you?’’

Ward has been frozen this entire conversation but at this the ice spreads through his chest, unaware of what Iron Man means, he doesn’t look at Skye differently than anyone else.

‘’I don’t know what you’re talking about’’.

‘’Course you don’t. Just trust me Cupcake, keep doing what you’ve been doing with Ward and see what happens, he’s not going to hate you’’.

It’s the opposite actually, she may hate him when this all ends, though right now when he’s naked in her bed Ward doesn’t want to think about that.

‘’What do you think Coulson is going to do if he finds out what Fury did?’’

‘’We may never know the whole truth unless you want to ask Fury yourself’’.

‘’Pass, I’m not that invested yet’’.

‘’I doubt Phillip will do anything drastic, he loves Shield too much’’.

‘’Ew’’.

‘’I have to go but are you okay? Do you need anything?’’

‘’I’m good, thanks Dad’’.

‘’Anytime’’.

Grant evens out his breathing still keeping his eyes closed as Skye tiptoes into the bedroom, puts the phone down and a second later her bare skin is pressed into his own. Even though his brain is reeling and his chest feels like it’s on fire because of the new information about Coulson, he can’t help but melt when she places a small kiss against his heart. No one has ever done that, no one has ever held him or treated him with any kind of genuine affection, he has no idea how to react to it.

Opening both eyes he watches as Skye drums her nails against his collarbone, her hair still wet and he wonders how in the hell she could ever think he’d hate her. Tony Stark was right, there is nothing she could ever do that would make him resent or abandon her, not after their first meeting, not after last night, not after the dreams that haunt him both in sleep and consciousness. She meets his eyes and smiles, god he’ll never get tired of looking at her.

‘’Hi’’.

‘’Hi’’.

She glances over to the watch on his wrist, ‘’we’re almost out of time’’.

‘’Just about’’.

‘’So your place or mine next time?’’

That overheard conversation in mind Ward wraps both arms around her and rolls so she’s pinned beneath him, her legs lock around his hips.

Because Garrett tends to make random appearances at his apartment Grant doesn’t want Skye anywhere near it.

The protective instincts surprise him because he’s never wanted to shield anyone from John besides Kebo and Buddy.

‘’Your apartment is nicer than mine, how about we meet here and I make dinner?’’

He reads no suspicion in her eyes so for now that excuse should hold.

‘’Oh my god you’re hot, amazing in bed and can cook? Are you sure you weren’t made in a lab somewhere?’’

Her laugh is cut off by his lips at her neck and just when things are starting to heat up his phone rings.

Reaching over on the opposite nightstand while Skye continues to run her nails up his chest, Ward reads the caller ID and sees it’s Garrett.

‘’Yes sir?’’

Garrett’s voice shatters the moment, as if Ward just jumped into an icy pool and can’t feel his toes.

‘’Meet me at our spot in fifteen minutes, everything is fine just need to check in’’.

The reassurance is welcoming since Garrett knows how he worries, ‘’yes sir’’.

He hangs up and sighs, ''I have to go''.

''Is everything okay?''

He kisses her forehead, ''everything is fine, I'll see you later''.

She leans up and kisses him fully, ''see you later''.

Then he's gone and it feels wrong being separated from her.

Ward sits at a booth in the back, able to see everyone around him, every exit and possible entry point. He drinks his coffee in silence his mind back in Skye’s bed, her sighs in his ear, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. All those years of training seem to slip away as the minutes pass and he nearly calls her twice, when John walks in. And just like that everything falls into place, he fully remembers why he’s here, that nothing truly matters but Garrett’s life, no himself, not Skye or how he feels about her.

Nothing exists beyond guaranteeing John’s survival , and if one day Quake stands in the way of that he’ll have no choice but to kill her. The thought turns the coffee in his teeth to ash, makes his stomach roll, the idea of losing her hits so strongly like a bullet to the heart. He gets a flash of blood on his hands somewhere else, a cold hospital room with a failing heart monitor, this pain splits open his chest like he’s never experienced before as a pale faced Skye comes into view, her complexion almost wax like, and he’s see enough dead bodies in his time to recognize one.

Bones shaking with grief though he’s never felt it this strongly before, and he knows for a fact Skye is perfectly fine in the half hour he’s been away, Ward feels like he’s falling down into some dark pit that he can’t control or escape, and then it’s gone as quickly as it started. Grant feels light headed as the diner comes back into view, the smell of hash browns and fried eggs making him nauseous, Garrett sits down as Ward struggles to pull himself together.

This longing to check on Skye, to hold her and see with his own eyes that she’s alright refuses to budge, no matter how many times he tries to shove it down it just pops back up. John says nothing as he sips his coffee so Ward sends a text under the table to Skye first asking if she’s alright, then one to Kebo explaining the situation in a brief summary. When John starts speaking Ward’s head finally rises to the surface and he can breathe again, thinks of everything the man in front of him has done for him.

‘’So how’s it going to with our favorite girl? Seal the deal yet?’’

‘’Yes sir, last night’’.

‘’Perfect, keep it up and she’ll be blinded by your charm in no time’’.

‘’Pretty sure she already is she has a lot of weaknesses to expose, I have a lot of material to work with’’.

‘’God you’re good, I trained you well’’.

The compliment makes Ward glow, ‘’well there’s an art to deceiving someone sir’’.

‘’So give me all the details of last night’’.

Ward hides his discomfort well, not wanting to share the intimacy of what happened with Skye with anyone, so he settles for something that is more important and will distract.

‘’I received some new information this morning courtesy of Tony Stark’’.

Grant leaves out no details of the conversation between Iron Man and Quake, John is grinning by the end of it.

‘’What do you think is in that Jesus Juice if it exists?’’

Grant shrugs, ‘’we could always test it out on someone, shoot one of Fury’s best agents and see what he does, there has to be more than one dose of that serum out there’’.

He recognizes the look spreading through John’s eyes, ‘’I have a better idea, kill the girl, the Avengers would move heaven and earth to save her, that speeds up our process and gets rid of Quake for a few days’’.

He’s stunned into silence but isn’t sure why, it’s a perfect plan, if this miracle cure really does exist the Avengers would find it.

If this were a normal situation Ward would agree with John, would have already suggested the plan.

But there’s a reason he didn’t, just like there’s a reason he hated leaving Skye this morning.

‘’Fury detests Quake, there’s no way he’d sacrifice any of that serum if it’s real, for her. What about Maria Hill?’’

‘’That could work, besides if you went after Quake the Black Widow would kill you and I kind of need you around’’.

Relief hits so fast it nearly sends him spread out on the floor.

The waitress comes and takes their order, places fresh coffee in mugs as Garrett moves onto another topic.

‘’Speaking of Quake I heard she went after Quinn, it wasn’t part of the plan but as long as he’s in Shield custody that’s all that matters’’.

‘’Everything will be fine, I'll keep an eye on him myself. I have a mission with Coulson and his team’’.

Hill emailed him a minute ago with the details, strangely Skye was not included on this one.

‘’Good, I need Quinn to trust in the Clairvoyant more and turn from Shield, that should do it’’.

‘’Yes sir’’.

That burning hatred regarding Ian Quinn flows fresh, as if it was left out to dry in the sun but now it’s back with a white hot vengeance.

‘’What’s wrong with you son?’’

Grant forces himself to unclench his fists, relax his shoulders.

John reads into the wrong thing and laughs, ‘’nothing is going to happen in this diner, you can stop with the paranoia’’.

He can never turn that off no matter how hard he tries, it’s simply a part of Ward now.

‘’So details, I want to know how exactly you managed to get that bat shit crazy woman to spread her legs’’.

Knowing John isn’t going to rest until he gets what he wants even though it makes Grant ill, he confesses it all while still respecting Skye, though if she heard any of this she’d kick his ass.

Hours later after a mission with Coulson, May and Fitzsimmons resulted in Simmons nearly dying and Ward having to jump out a plane to save her life, he’s back at the Triskelion with the two scientists doing paperwork in their lab, Fitz brings up what happened once more. When it gets to the part about Ward jumping out of the plane he nearly smiles, not because he views himself as a hero but because it’s the oldest trick in the handbook, a sacrifice play to trick someone into trusting you completely.

He tries another ploy into getting them to think he’s a human and not a pod person, they need to see he’s not the robot they all think he is, so he turns to Jemma, ‘’so what did you think of your first time skydiving?’’

‘’Honestly I’d rather not think about it at all’’.

‘’I thought what you did was incredibly brave’’.

That is sincere, no lying, Simmons who has no field training put everyone else first before her own life.

‘’Well I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you that I may have misled you earlier, you see when I gave you back the Night Night pistol I lied, still an ounce off’’.

The ICERS she and Fitz invented for every Shield agent have been perfect for a while but Ward mentioned the weight of his felt off this morning and they assured him it wasn’t.

‘’I know’’.

‘’You do?’’

‘’Of course’’.

It’s his job.

He thinks back to the last time he, Fitzsimmons and Skye were on a mission and decides to add a little humor to this conversation, one that made him laugh when he overheard their conversation about him.

Puts his hands on his hips and says, ‘’after all I’m Agent Grant Ward and I just jumped out of a plane without a parachute on and saved your life’’.

She and Fitz laugh, remembering, ‘’actually that’s not quite it, it’s a bit more nasally than that’’.

‘’How are you feeling?’’

She shrugs as Fitz hands her a blanket, ‘’alright mostly just tired’’.

‘’Get some rest, you’ll feel better in the morning’’.

Ward has just finished the mountain of paperwork when Skye sends him a message, it’s an address to a nearby hotel. Grinning he leaves the lab and doesn’t even care what Fitz and Simmons think of his expression. He updates John on the current situation only because when he’s in town he likes to track Grant’s every move, and if something happens he wants to know exactly where Ward can be located. Driving to the hotel with the windows down and a smile on his face, Ward doesn’t even realize how deep he’s already in with Skye.

One ride up a sleek marble elevator later and he’s staring at the door to a penthouse suite about to knock when it swings open, Skye gives him an amused expression wearing only a silk robe. ‘’I wish you were allergic to shirts’’. Smiling he walks through the door, locks it, takes a moment to study the large room, the windows, each and every possible entry point and exit. Golden walls and pale curtains, a large flat screen TV, freshly waxed floors, three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room and living area, Shield doesn’t even put its best agents in suites like this. 

He stops thinking about that however when Skye runs both hands down his back, ‘’heard you jumped out of a plane today’’.

Turns around and places both hands on her hips, ‘’just doing my job’’.

Those dark brown eyes seem to cut through him, ‘’no you weren’t’’.

For a second he’s terrified she knows why he’s really here then decides against it, ‘’what was I doing then?’’

‘’It’s an emotional called caring Ward, and it’s okay to feel it’’.

A small whisper brushes against the back of his skull sounding just like Skye, like she said it in his dreams or in another reality entirely, _‘’caring about someone doesn’t make you weak babe, it makes you human’’._

Her hands are cold on his shoulders but her skin is warm when he slips his hands down the front of her robe, hope she doesn’t read into his unsteady smirk.

‘’Simmons is important to Shield, we couldn’t afford to lose her’’.

‘’Is that the excuse you’re going with?’’

‘’Do you really want to talk about Shield right now?’’

Instead of answering she stands on her toes and kisses him as he slips off her robe. 

There’s something dangerous here and it’s not an enemy he can eliminate, it’s not a bomb he can diffuse or a mark to shoot, it’s the overwhelming connection he’s felt since the second he saw her in that bar. Like she knew him on some higher level he’s not even aware of, as if she knows everything living and breathing inside him and is just waiting to discover it. Ward wonders if she would like the real him, the person John and his family created then spit out, he doesn’t even know who that is.

He can’t form attachments, Ward knows this, but it’s so hard to imagine anything exists right now beyond Skye tugging off his jeans, her teeth on his skin, the way she sighs when he runs his lips down her body. Much later in the afternoon with the curtains still sealed tight, the suite in complete disarray, Ward lies on the bed with Skye draped across his chest. A position that shouldn’t be as familiar as it already is, he just can’t shake the feeling that they’ve done this before.

She drums her fingers against his chin and then asks in a small voice, ‘’do you ever feel like we’ve done this before?’’

Grant inhales sharply for just a second then confesses, ‘’every time I look at you’’.

It’s the most honest he’s ever been with another person.

Does she too have dreams about them somewhere else? Somewhere they were together and happy and nothing stood in their way?

A knock at the door shatters the moment, Ward gets up and puts on his boxer briefs, ‘’were you expecting someone?’’

Skye throws on his black shirt, ‘’relax Rambo I ordered room service while you were in the bathroom. I ordered healthy shit for you because I know how bland your taste buds are’’.

‘’Thanks’’.

He goes to answer the door while she heads to the bathroom, Grant crosses the plush rug and unlocks it, imagine his surprise when it’s not a hotel employee but John Garrett. 

His former SO grins at the shock Ward must be wearing on his face, ‘’you know I’ve seen you in this compromising position too many times to count’’.

He shoves his way through the door and sighs at the articles of clothes on the floor, cocks his head to the side when he hears Skye humming loudly in the other room.

‘’Good work son, twice in one day’’.

Garrett’s elbow in his ribs causes guilt and panic to flare up for some reason, Ward is suddenly very nervous that having Skye and John in the same room together is a very bad idea.

‘’What are you doing here John?’’

He tosses his brown leather jacket on the back of the couch, ‘’I can’t stop by? You’re the one who told me where you were, if you didn’t want me around you shouldn’t have texted me’’.

‘’I’m sorry that’s not what I meant, I just’’-

‘’Oh come on I just want to meet our favorite girl, after all she’s one of the keys to getting what we’ve been working towards’’.

Ward swallows the panic, calms his heartbeat, this is about John not Skye.

He has every right to meet the person that could possibly save his life and it’s Ward’s job to always get Garrett what he wants.

So he takes a deep breath, ‘’yes sir’’.

Putting on the familiar blank mask he calls out to Skye to get her in here quicker because John is impatient. 

Her long legs come into view first and just seeing her in the same space as John causes this intense wave of panic in his bloodstream, he has to fight the urge to take her in his arms and run.

She’s looking down at her phone still wearing his shirt and says, ‘’I swear to god if Trip sends me one more picture of his cat I’m going to punch him in the face next time I see him’’.

When Grant doesn’t comment she glances up and every single inch of her stands straighter when she realizes they aren’t alone, eyes going straight for Garrett as she sizes him up.

Like a predator observing their prey before going in for the kill.

‘’I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m John Garrett, Quake right?’’

At the look on her face it goes from protecting Skye to Ward stepping close to John practically at his shoulder.

Grant recognizes the fire that ignites in her eyes, that promise of violence that nearly sings from her hands.

‘’Ward has told me a lot about you’’.

He holds out a hand and Skye doesn’t even acknowledge it as she tenses for a fight. 

Grant doesn’t even have time to brace himself or Garrett before every single window and glass object shatters in the suite, the building erupts in violent trembling, the ceiling starts falling, the floors cracking, and Skye stands in the middle of all the destruction and chaos like some dark avenging angel that no one could ever defeat. He grabs John and neither of them understands Quake’s reaction, what could trigger this dramatic response over meeting Garrett?

There’s only one goal, get John out alive, only question is will he have to hurt Skye in order to do it?


	14. She's A Killer Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye handles meeting John Garrett exactly the way she's supposed to, and she and Ward come to a breaking point on the dreams they've been having about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Skye, I love this scene in the beginning with her and Ward. I'm going to miss writing them so much when this fic is over.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

_'’If I die before you, would you remarry eventually?’’_

_Skye watches as Ward nearly chokes on his black coffee, ‘’what?’’_

_She shrugs and puts a hand on the back of his neck, ‘’I take a lot more risks than you do, me being thrown into a casket before you is entirely plausible’’._

_‘’Can we please not talk about you dying?’’_

_‘’Fine, we can talk about the bitch you’re going to marry after I’m gone’’._

_‘’I never said I was going to’’-_

_‘’Is it selfish of me that I don’t want you to be with anyone else? I could pretend to be happy about it, but I’m not that big of a person’’._

_He glances away from the open highway to give her an exasperated look but says nothing._

_‘’I mean what if I look down from heaven one day and you’re screwing your new wife, what am I supposed to do with that?’’_

_When he cringes she continues, ‘’and I know what you’re thinking, bold of me to assume I’d be going to heaven but’’-_

_‘’I was not thinking that at all’’._

_‘’I’m just saying I would want you to be happy after I died, just not with anyone else’’._

_‘’Noted’’._

_Skye runs her fingers through his hair, ‘’hate me?’’_

_His hand on her thigh squeezes, ‘’of course not, I could never’’._

_‘’Even though I’m selfish?’’_

_Ward removes his hand from her neck and kisses the back of it, ‘’you’re not selfish, but hopefully you won’t have to worry, I want to go first’’._

_This is not the first time he’s made that comment, Grant wants to die before her because he claims he wouldn’t be able to wake up and face a world where she no longer existed._

_Skye says the same, so of course it’s always going to be up to death to decide which one he takes first._

_Grant adjusts the heat in the car so it blows more her way on this freezing winter day, ‘’besides I’d assume once you’re dead you probably wouldn’t care what I did anyway’’._

_‘’Oh my god, I would haunt you forever if your dick went anywhere near somebody else’’._

_Laughing, he leans over to kiss her cheek, tells her he loves her._

There is a saying about rage, that even though you think you’ve tamed it, controlled it, locked it down within the deep furnaces of your heart, it’s never really gone. It burns its way back into your bones destroying everything else, burying your morals and good intentions until all you can see and taste is red. The bitterness of it, the metallic tang on your tongue, the sharpness against the roof of your mouth as if it’s cutting into your gums, scraping away skin and ripping out your teeth.

If you’re not careful it will consume your entire body until all you feel is that crushing overwhelming desire to act on the emotion, to quench the thirst of your rage, to take that spiked dragon that sits at the heels of your feet whispering and break its neck. Some people can control themselves, take a deep inhale and let it go like smoke in a winter breeze. Others however, pour gasoline and light a match without considering the destruction that waits at the end of the line.

There are two types of people in the world; the ones who control that black pit inside themselves that snarls for revenge, and there are the ones who don’t. Skye is the latter of the human race, she never stops the rush of lightning and power that flows whenever hatred nips at her heart. It’s almost like a second skin sometimes or a coat, she can easily slip it over her shoulders, lace up the red buttons and tie the belt at her waist like she’s going out in the middle of a snowstorm.

There’s a bonfire in the center of her chest and she fuels the flames until it’s out of control and filling her soul with black smoke, on a good day it’s just embers burning she can hardly feel it. But one days like today it spins out of her hands so quickly she can’t possibly rein the anger back in, that bloodthirsty need for someone to die at her fingertips because they’ve done something so terribly wrong it can never be justified.

One look at John Garrett and Skye knows that he’s a serpent in peach colored clothing, a glance in those dark eyes has that dragon at her feet sinking its teeth into her ankles, a warning, a whisper against her pink polished toes that he is not the man everyone thinks he is. That there’s something lingering under his skin, a dark beast that recognizes its own kind when it locks gazes with Skye. After all, monsters recognize other monsters.

There is no logical reason for her reaction, for this midnight shaded blanket to drape over her body and bring out her powers. She’s never even heard of John Garrett before today, never met him or shared the same air in a room before. But something is tugging at her brain, a voice that sounds very much like her own is thrashing against the confines of their skull, sending Skye flashes of a shaking Grant Ward on a bathroom floor curled in ball, crying over how much John ruined him.

Then Ward is in a bedroom she doesn’t recognize tossing and turning covered in sweat, clearly asleep but calling out for John, saying how sorry he is, that he wishes he could have saved him. These dreams or flashbacks all happen in rapid succession and then that blank dark rage is all that’s left. Her powers hum inside her fingers as chaos begins to pour into the room, Skye is like a snapped rubber band she can’t control the destruction, it just happens as the weight of her emotions erupts.

She sees a very similar version of the Grant Ward in front of her on the floor, blood pouring out of him and those whiskey eyes that burn her skin, staring up at a foreign ceiling never seeing anything ever again. His chest never rising or falling, his heartbeat that soothed her to sleep the night before stopping, an older Ward the one from her dreams appears, fear in his eyes when he talked about Garrett even though she has a feeling John wasn’t in his life anymore.

Those images are what Skye feeds off of, what causes her to hone in on John’s heart in her palms and squeeze. Those nearly black eyes widen in pain, his face pales as her powers sink into his spine, he cries out just once and satisfaction swims golden through her bloodstream, a sharp smile that tastes like cranberries lights her lips. Nothing exists beyond feeling his bones strain about to crack, how fear transforms his expression until it’s all he can think about.

It doesn’t last for long and neither does her smugness.

Through the broken glass and falling ceiling tiles Ward moves quicker than humanly possible, shoving John to the ground for cover then turning on her. Though his expression is blank there’s power in his shoulders, the way he prepares his body for a fight, to protect someone he clearly cares about from her. In hand to hand combat they are pretty evenly matched, Skye learned that from a few sparring sessions, but there’s a reason no one has ever beat him in a fight.

She’ll never admit he’s better than her in that regard, though she has one advantage he’ll never be able to win against. She’s Inhuman and he’s not, her powers can bring down buildings, gods from space and even planets if she tried. All she would really have to do is twitch her fingers and his pulse would stop, she could kill both of them in a second and no one would be able to stop her. Ward maybe strong but he can’t hold a candle to Quake’s power, no one can but Thor.

And the God of Thunder isn’t here, it’s just her, a man who deserves to die though she can’t figure out why, and Ward who is in her way. That colorless cloud covers her again bringing with it only death and destruction and she knows with every single inch of her soul that John Garrett needs to die, today, right now in this hour, and no one is going to stop her from dealing out this punishment, not even Ward. They square off, not at all the gentle loving people they were to one another this morning, they’re out for blood now.

Skye strikes out first, aims a fist for his face and it’s quickly caught in Ward’s iron grip, she ducks under his arm and kicks out so his legs are swept out from under him, but he reads the movement before she makes it and steps out of the way. She elbows him in the gut just enough so that he loosens his hold and rips her arm out of his hands. Spinning around he blocks every hit she aims at his face, his groin, she does manage to get a harsh kick to his knees and she uses that distraction to shove him against a wall.

Years of training has her looking towards Garrett, a sliver gun gleams in his hand but with a flick of wrist it shatters into a hundred pieces. He asks what the hell her problem is but his only answer is her fist in his jaw. That’s all she has time for because Ward suddenly hurls himself at her, tackling her body to the ground and yelling for Garrett to get out, suddenly pinned with Grant’s entire weight on her, his hands curled against her wrists to the floor, straddling her hips and not in the fun way it was earlier.

Fire lights those warm honey eyes buy Skye is too far gone to appreciate the glow, all she cares about is making the man currently leaving the hotel room bleed below her feet, and Grant is clearly not going to allow that. That voice in her head is begging to stop this, to stop fighting his hold and causing him pain, that she can hunt John down another time, that this is going to hurt Ward far more than it is her. But Quake doesn’t listen, attempts to heat butt him but he moves and leans down into her ear.

‘’Whatever is wrong, going after Garrett isn’t the solution’’.

‘’You’re wrong’’.

Locking her legs behind his back she attempts to flip their positions but his hold is too firm, he outweighs her and is not bending to her will.

There’s an almost desperation in his expression that nearly gives her pause, ‘’I don’t want to hurt you’’.

‘’I wouldn’t stress about it’’.

No one told her that Ward’s punches hurt like a bitch, and that apparently he’d be willing to die for an arrogant asshole like John Garrett.

The other thing about rage, if you’re not careful it will swallow you whole. Skye has experience with taking that darkness between her palms and letting it chew at her bones, so this midnight red veil that covers her eyes is nothing new, it’s like an old friend visiting for the holidays. Unlocking her door, walking around the kitchen sipping coffee and sleeping in her bed, wearing her shoes and shrugging on clothes from the bottom of her closet.

Quake has never hated anyone like this, not even Whitehall when he strapped her to that table and slaughtered her parents. There’s something wrong with John Garrett and it’s up to Skye to end that demon she saw staring back at her, the only problem is that Ward is in the way, and someone is screaming from the inside to leave him be, let him live. Skye listens of course, though she isn’t nice about it. 

Finds the opening she’s been looking for with a slight tilt of her hips, after all Ward is a man even though he acts like a robot, and they just slept together so she’ll use whatever weakness she can find. Grant stills for just a moment, one second where the burn of the fight wears off and he’s remembering how she felt against him, it’s all the distraction she needs. Skye makes her move, her foot connecting with his knee and leaps up, grabbing the nearest object, a lamp, and striking him across the shoulders with it.

It buys her a moment or two which she takes advantage of, runs out of the room into the hall is almost to the elevators when a heavy force knocks her sideways, her shoulder catching the frame of a painting. Ward presses her into the wall with all his weight her ribs constricting, and because she’s Skye and he’s breathing evenly into her ear, she says, ‘’you know when I pictured us in this position again, this isn’t what I imagined’’.

He says nothing just spins her around his arm banded across her collarbone, the other clutching her hip to hold her still. One look into those whiskey eyes and it’s obvious her lover is gone, in his place in the man who gained a reputation so early on in Shield, the person who can kill someone without even blinking, the man they say can emotionally withdraw so completely in order to get a job done, that he might not be entirely human. 

‘’I don’t know what the hell your problem is but it ends now’’.

Skye relaxes and pretends she has all the time in the world, he doesn’t buy it, ‘’does it?’’

‘’You can’t win Skye’’.

She smiles full of ice and violence, ‘’you have two seconds to let me go before I break every single bone in your body’’.

‘’You want to hurt Garrett, that’s not happening’’.

‘’Correction, I want to kill Garrett’’.

‘’Why?’’

‘’Not telling’’.

He holds her a little tighter, ‘’you’re going to have to go through me to do it’’.

Skye shrugs like it’s comical, ‘’okay’’.

With a twitch of her fingers she breaks out of his arms and holds out a hand so he’s pinned against the opposite wall by her powers, ‘’he deserves to die’’.

‘’You don’t get to decide that’’.

‘’I kind of do’’.

He goes flying down the hallway and Skye makes it to the elevator, presses the button and adjusts the sash of her black robe, thank god she’s wearing underwear and a bra.

The doors slide open when the back of her neck pricks, she hardly has time to turn when Ward is tackling her again, this time they crash against a hotel room just as the door opens. They fall into the carpet and Skye rolls so she’s straddling Ward, then their positions switch just as she punches him across the jaw. He responds by rolling her into the dresser, her back hitting it so hard it knocks the wind right out of her. 

Ward’s lip is bleeding but he’s not sweating, boy isn’t even panting, just breathing normally as if he isn’t facing off with one of the most powerful people on the planet. Screaming starts and Skye glances over to see they landed in a room filled with young girls, between sixteen or seventeen, four of them all huddled on a bed, hands over their mouths. Ward follows her eyes but she can tell he doesn’t care about them, all his attention is focused on her.

Knowing playing him isn’t going to work again and she can’t buck him off with her strength alone, Skye taps into her early training sessions with Nat when you’re captured by someone who outweighs you. Play dirty, doesn’t matter what you have to do in order to get out alive, now Nat didn’t want her to use that in this kind of situation, but whatever fits. Ward’s hand is braced against her shoulder so she leans in and bites his fingers, it doesn’t work, he doesn’t even flinch. 

So she settles with her powers, one second he’s above her and the next he’s across the room colliding with the window, which breaks under his weight but he doesn’t fall out. The girls scream, frozen on the mattress, Grant recovers quickly and is on her again and manages to get an elbow to her eye. The blow stings and she sees stars for a second before jumping away when he follows it up with a hit to the nose she barely dodges.

There’s a brief pause while she catches her breath and knocks away Ward’s arm that was headed for her throat, when she realizes that the hands that cupped her breasts an hour ago are now trying to cut off her airway, and the body that was just inside her own is now a stranger. Feeling blood run down the side of her face they face off in a room full of strangers, knowing Garrett is getting away with each second they waste, Skye turns to face the girls and grins, ‘’you want to learn how to kick a man’s ass?’’

Now that they’re both standing this move will be easy, she just has to wait for the opportune moment. Ward makes his move and Skye glides out of the way, grabs his shoulders for leverage and takes him out with the Black Widow’s signature move; wraps her legs around his neck and using her entire body weight to bring him down. Just to make sure he’s out cold she grabs the cordless phone from the nightstand and hits him in the back of the head with it, now he’s out cold.

Not wasting a second she sprints out the room, goes down the elevator runs across the lobby and hacks into the cameras with a phone she swiped off a polished table to hack into the nearby street cameras. Wiping the blood from her eye she winces, it’ll be black tomorrow, and squints at the screen. There, down the street, a black leather jacket racing for an unmarked SUV. Skye follows her bare feet stepping on rocks and glass on the sidewalk but it’s easily pushed aside to focus on the task at hand.

Later when Tony asks why she went after Garrett, what reason she had for wanting to end his life, she won’t have an answer, just that everything inside her is demanding he die at her feet because he has done cruel things. John is in his car now attempting to start it when Skye reaches the driver’s door and taps on the window. His surprised face only lasts a second before she’s breaking the glass with her powers and yanking him out of the seat. 

Throwing him onto the ground Skye watches as he doesn’t beg for his life like everyone else in this position has, instead he assess her carefully and looks around, she’s assuming he’s searching for Ward. That spark Whitehall created in her chest unfurls and a violence she’s all too intimate with makes a home in her hands, his heart beat in her skin Skye is just about to end his miserable existence when John starts laughing.

‘’You really are as powerful as they say huh? Even defeated the best agent Shield has ever seen’’.

‘’They have too much faith in him’’.

Garrett narrows his eyes, ‘’apparently so’’.

There’s a warning in the back of her head at that look, like this became so much bigger than just her feelings.

‘’He’ll kill you for this’’.

Now it’s Quake’s turn to laugh, ‘’unless Grant Ward magically turns into Thor, that’ll never happen, he’s not strong enough to take me on’’.

‘’Clearly’’.

Skye can tell he’s about to ask why she’s doing this when a shot rings out, the bullet zips through the air and she raises a hand, it suspends in the air right above her shoulder then goes back in the direction it came before shattering into a hundred pieces. The owner of said bullet is Ward of course, standing across the street gun in hand making his way towards them, bleeding slightly from her attack but not slowing down at all.

She shouldn’t be surprised that he literally tried to shoot her but she is, if Skye thought sex would have any kind of influence on Ward she was so wrong. He’s reached them now and stands in front of Garrett, gun out, expression a fierce burning as if he’d die before any harm came to his friend. ‘’Get out of here John’’. Is all Grant says and the other man listens, takes the keys from Ward’s free hand and walks away, shooting her a grin over his shoulder.

‘’I was wrong before, maybe you really are a robot’’.

Ward doesn’t shrug or blink or breathe, ‘’I’m going to give you one more chance, stand down Skye’’.

‘’Pass’’.

‘’I don’t know what the hell your problem is with Garrett but’’-

‘’Yes you do’’.

It’s a shot in the dark she doesn’t really know anything, just that the voice in her head is demanding John Garrett’s head on a stake.

For a second he stops, something in his eyes flickers but then it’s gone before she can identify it.

‘’Might as well put your gun away, bulletproof remember?’’

With a sigh he puts it back in the holster at his waist, ‘’attacking a Shield agent unprovoked isn’t going to work out for you’’.

‘’Wow, already trying to replace me with a new partner? And we were just getting close too’’.

‘’This isn’t funny Skye’’.

‘’It’s kind of funny. So how is this going to end Ward? You back down and pretend this never happened or’’-

‘’I bring you in, explain the situation and Fury will decide what will happen to you’’.

She doesn’t know how important Garrett is to Fury but this could get her kicked out.

Quake cocks her head to the side, ‘’I’d love to see you try’’.

For emphasis and because she’s dramatic, every window in businesses and cars around them break, people already started screaming when Ward shot her, but they’re frantic now.

He doesn’t even bat an eye, ‘’I’m not afraid of you’’.

‘’That was your first mistake’’.

Before things can get really interesting a black sports car pulls up beside them on the curb and Natasha Romanoff steps out, Steve Rogers joining her and Skye sighs, knowing the party is now officially over. The two Avengers focus directly on her, the sight of Nat calms Quake as it always does, that rage in her heart cools almost immediately. Clearly seeing he’s outnumbered Ward’s backs off, that’s all Skye sees before Nat is in front of her, touching her face and telling Quake to focus on her.

Romanoff has always been a rock to shelter against the storm that lives inside Skye, she’s always been there to hold her hand, to wake up in the middle of the night, to forgive even the worst of Skye’s crimes. For years it was just her and Skye against the world, and Quake would burn down the entire planet for Nat if she asked. She has no idea how they knew where to find her, but a part of her is grateful, she really didn’t want to have to kill Ward, he’s too good in bed to have that just go to waste.

‘’How’d you know where to find me?’’

Romanoff applies just the slightest of pressure to Skye’s cheeks, ‘’we were in the area, felt the quake, figured it was you. What’s going on?’’

One glance at Ward and Nat knows Skye doesn’t want to confess it in front of him, ‘’let’s go home’’.

Restless energy starts to rear its head at the thought of leaving here while Garrett is still walking around, ‘’I can’t’’.

Recognizing the violence in her eyes Romanoff angles herself between Quake and Ward, ‘’yes you can’’.

‘’You don’t understand’’.

Nat says something in response but Skye can’t hear it, the street disappears and she sees a clearly upset Ward with shaking hands in an alley, holding her and trembling as he talks about Garrett.

‘’Skye’’.

The cars around them rumble, her fingers clench and unclench.

There’s just something so off about this entire thing, something wrong with Garrett but she can’t remember exactly what it is, just that he shouldn’t be breathing.

‘’He deserves to die Nat’’.

Skye says through clenched teeth and the Black Widow raises one surprised eyebrow, ‘’thought you and Ward were friends now’’.

‘’Not him, John Garrett’’.

‘’Why?’’

Skye shakes with suppressed violence, ‘’he just does’’.

‘’You know that’s not a good enough reason’’.

Steve gently tries to pull her away but she jerks back, notices Ward take a step to them.

‘’None of you would be able to stop me’’.

All too familiar with how high Skye gets off on the power inside her, Natasha takes her hands, ‘’you’ve already made a scene in public, let’s talk this through and we’ll go from there’’.

‘’I could kill him and no one would miss him, no one would care’’.

Something tells her Ward would, that it would hurt him but she pushes it away.

‘’Yes you could, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should’’.

‘’You don’t know him’’.

‘’But you do?’’

No, no she doesn’t know anything except this overpowering need to stop his heart.

Nat rubs her arms, ‘’talk to me, tell me why’’.

With a squeeze to her shoulders that darkness disappears and Skye takes a deep breath, soaks in the strength and calming energy Nat provides. 

Clears her head and takes in the reality of the situation.

Glances over to Ward who hasn’t relaxed since she walked into the living room, ‘’he’s going to die one day’’.

A strange expression passes through his features but he quickly recovers, ‘’I know’’.

‘’You better hope to god something else kills him before I do’’.

Steve pulls her away now and she lets him lead her over to the car and help her inside.

Natasha talks to Ward for a few minutes before sliding into the driver’s seat and pulling away from the curb. Skye accepts the blanket Steve hands her from the backseat, not realizing she’s shivering until her teeth chatter. Romanoff turns up the heat as they head to her apartment and now that Skye has time to analyze and reflect on what happened, she has a feeling Ward might not forgive her for this one. 

‘’So you sleep with Ward and then he tries to kill you, sounds about right’’. Skye laughs and Steve soon joins, Nat smiles at her own quip but stops when she remembers the wound against Skye’s eye and how it’s already swelling, how Fury is going to be pissed at what happened, and that she made a scene in public. Sending a message in the Avengers group chat to all meet at Skye’s apartment, she tosses a shirt to Skye to put pressure on her eye. Tony is going to be pissed when he hears what happened. 

Hours later, classical music playing softly in the background, _Grey’s Anatomy_ on TV, a glass of red wine, this would almost be perfect if it were a normal day. But the icepack against her face and sore shoulder say otherwise, as do the Avengers whispering in her kitchen and Bruce Banner sitting next to her pretending to watch the medical drama on the screen. Every Avenger is present in her apartment except Thor, they’re all discussing what Fury said just an hour ago when he stopped by. 

As of now Skye is on probation, not allowed to go anywhere near a mission or the Triskelion, isn’t allowed to contact Ward (not that she would anyway) for the next month. The only reason she’s obeying the orders and didn’t correct Nick that she doesn’t work for him, even though Tony reminded him, is because she needs time to regroup and cool down. To figure out why she reacted the way she did to Garrett, because she has no clue. 

It’s almost as if someone else had a reason and she just fed off that anger and hatred, saw whatever flashbacks those were and used them as evidence. Which is why she finally confessed to Nat about the daydreams and memories she sees of Ward, which is another topic she and Tony will discuss soon, see if she’s going insane or if it’s something else. Skye has already made plans to leave with Bruce for the next month, he’s who she turns too when her world gets a little too dark and she needs an escape.

Barton and Nat walk over and sit on the opposite couch flanked by Tony, who sits directly in front of her on the coffee table, Steve is in the armchair with his arms crossed, a worried look in his eye. Stark frowns at the ice against her eye while Nat leans forward and speaks first. 

‘’Why did you attack Agent Garrett?’’

It’s a simple question, the same one Fury asked when he walked through the door.

Skye gives the only explanation she can, ‘’because he’s an asshole’’.

No one is buying it, these people are her family, they love her, so she tries to be a little more honest.

‘’I haven’t felt rage like that since Whitehall, like Garrett did something terrible to someone’’.

Tony is the first to come to her defense, ‘’like you? Did he hurt you?’’

‘’No, I just, I don’t know what happened’’.

Bruce wraps an arm around her while Tony pats her knee, ‘’all you have to do is say the word and you can be on a beach in an hour, or back at Shield which I for one’’-

‘’Tony’’.

He scoffs at Bruce, ‘’don’t interrupt, like I was saying Cupcake, whatever you want to do I’m on your side’’.

‘’Even though I nearly executed someone in public and tried to kill one of Nat’s favorite agents?’’

Iron Man smiles, ‘’even then, always’’.

‘’You want us to kill Ward? Nat would get over it’’.

Skye cracks a grin at Barton, ‘’I’m good thanks’’.

‘’You sure? He really gave you a shiner there’’.

Skye touches the icepack against her eye, ‘’I’ve had worse’’.

‘’Doesn’t make it right’’.

‘’I attacked him first, he was just defending himself’’.

‘’He literally shot you’’.

‘’He was aiming for her shoulder, Ward had a perfect kill shot and didn’t take it’’.

‘’Oh like that makes it better Natasha’’.

‘’What do you want to do if Shield doesn’t let you come back?’’

Steve asks and everyone looks worried at the thought, when Skye’s time isn’t occupied well she tends to go off the deep end.

‘’It’s not like I shot Fury in the face or anything Jesus, all I did was almost kill an agent, my bad’’.

‘’John Garrett means something to Fury, just like Coulson’’.

‘’Gross’’.

‘’You can always come back and work with me’’.

Tony offers, they used to work side by side in his lab before she moved out.

‘’I’ll think about it’’.

‘’I’m sorry you have to think about it? Do you know how many people would kill to even be in the same room as me?’’

‘’Check your ego Tony’’.

He huffs, ‘’check your ego Cap’’.

‘’Can we get back on track please?’’

Skye looks over to Nat who understands everything about her, ‘’do you think a month is enough time to convince Fury that he needs me?’’

Knowing what she really means the Black Widow nods, ‘’I can make it work’’.

‘’Do we think Ward is going to retaliate?’’

Steve asks and both Tony and Nat shake their heads no.

‘’Are you sure?’’

‘’Positive’’.

On some deeper level Skye knew that Ward wouldn’t kill her, she could have murdered Garrett in the street and he wouldn’t have taken revenge. She heads to her bedroom and turns her phone off, takes a shower and tries not to think about how Ward was just here this morning kissing her.

Grabbing a fresh bottle of wine and locking her bedroom door because she’s not in the mood to talk, Skye heads out the balcony, opens the French patio doors and breathes in the cold air. It only takes a second to realize she’s not alone, for a heartbeat that shouldn’t be so familiar but is, makes its way into the skin of her palms and an ache spreads through her chest. Ward is sitting on the concrete railing in the corner where the lights don’t brush his face, cloaked in darkness, hidden from view.

There’s no fear of course but a fresh wave of anger, why is he here? Is he under some misguided male delusion that she’s still going to sleep with him after he shot her? A voice in her head is saying to forgive him, that he didn’t want to hurt her, that he hates himself for what happened far more than she ever could. He looks sad, that’s the first thing she notices when he stands and the light from the balcony hits his face which is bruised just like her own, those whiskey eyes unreadable.

Skye could easily throw him off, shoot him, take the knife in her jacket pocket and stab him with it, but for some reason she pauses. Wants to hear what he has to say, if he risked walking through the Avengers at the slight promise of getting laid again, or if he’s going to apologize. It was stupid of him to come here and not at all the Agent Ward she knows, he doesn’t take unnecessary risks with his life, and this most definitely could be a death sentence if he’s not careful.

Skye takes a sip from the bottle of wine and asks, ‘’what are you doing here Ward?’’

‘’Can we talk?’’

He’s quiet and hesitant as if she’s a deer he wants to capture without spooking.

‘’Talk to my black eye’’.

He winces like this pains him so much more than her, ‘’I’m so sorry about that’’.

‘’Are you?’’

‘’I never wanted to hurt you, but what was I supposed to do? You came after me’’-

‘’Correction I went after Garrett, you just stood in my way’’.

‘’Why’d you do it? You don’t even know him’’.

She sighs and takes another sip of alcohol, ‘’would you believe me if I said I was bored?’’

‘’No’’.

Skye sits on the railing and faces him, still half in the shadows but she can see his face.

‘’I think he’s a bad person’’.

Grant’s face doesn’t change when he replies, ‘’he’s not, he was my old S.O. he’s a good man’’.

Skye nearly gags, there’s just something about John Garrett that rubs her the wrong way.

‘’I need to know that you’re not going to do that again’’.

‘’Why? Are you going to kill me if I try? I’d love to see that since you did such a good job of it today’’.

His fingers twitch, ‘’look John means a lot to me, I wouldn’t expect you to understand’’-

‘’What the hell is that supposed to mean? What because I was orphan I don’t get what it’s like to have someone in my life that I care about? Screw you’’.

‘’That’s not what I meant’’-

‘’Did you apologize because you’re actually sorry, or did you think it would make me spread my legs for you?’’

Ward looks offended and then scoffs, ‘’seems to me that’s exactly why you think I’m here’’.

‘’Am I wrong?’’

‘’Would you even believe me if I said otherwise?’’

‘’Maybe’’.

He shakes his head, ‘’I didn’t come here to sleep with you, I just, I’m sorry, everything go out of hand’’.

‘’You shot me’’.

‘’I aimed for your shoulder in order to apprehend you, my intention wasn’t to kill, if it was you wouldn’t be standing here’’.

‘’Wow, is that how you sweet talk all the girls?’’

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Shut up Ward’’.

‘’You know I didn’t have to come here and try to make amends’’.

‘’So why did you?’’

Now it seems he’s at a loss for words, ‘’I don’t know’’.

What she doesn’t know is that he came here for her, for Garrett, because he made her bleed and he’d rather shoot himself in the heart a thousand times than to ever hurt her with his fists, his words.

‘’Look Fury suspended me so you don’t have to worry about seeing me for a month, maybe it’s what’s best’’.

His expression falls, ‘’he suspended you? Skye I’’-

‘’Relax Turbo its fine, he obviously sided with his favorite child, I’m leaving anyway’’.

Grant looks even more upset at that, ‘’I’m sorry’’.

‘’Yeah everyone always is, doesn’t really make a difference’’.

An icy breeze blows through and Skye is suddenly so tired, ‘’look you should probably leave, Tony is going to unlock that door any minute now and the Avengers aren’t exactly happy with you’’.

Ward nods and turns to the balcony, leather jacket tight across his shoulders, and to think this morning started out with her hands clutching them and now they’re pushing him away.

For good reason of course.

Then he’s gone and Skye drains the entire bottle of wine.

Natasha comes in an hour later and lays down under the covers next to Skye, starts playing with her hair as _Grey’s Anatomy_ continues to play on the television. Quake is about to fall asleep the lights are low, when Nat asks about the dreams, where she sees Ward somewhere else like they existed in another universe. So Skye tells her everything in vivid detail, every dream she’s had at night and during the day, Ward’s visit outside on the balcony.

‘’So do you think I’m crazy?’’

Nat braids her brown hair then takes it down, ‘’of course I don’t think you’re crazy’’.

‘’But I’m dreaming about a man I met a few months ago and in them we’re in love’’.

Romanoff thinks for a moment, ‘’you know Bruce has a theory about parallel universes’’.

‘’Are you seriously trying to suggest that there’s versions of Ward and I that are together?’’

‘’Would you rather believe that your subconscious is dreaming about what it really wants? That you’re in love with Ward?’’

‘’Gross, maybe I just need to be in an insane asylum’’.

‘’You do not’’.

‘’Would you come visit me?’’

Nat gives her a _look_ so Skye relents and goes back to the subject at hand, ‘’I’m happy in those dreams with him, do you really think it’s just my subconscious?’’

‘’If you’re really worried about it Bruce and Tony can run some tests’’.

‘’Do you think I should be worried about it?’’

‘’I think you want to be happy and it’s normal to fantasize what that looks like, but I wouldn’t blow them off either especially if you think they’ll effect you in the field’’.

Skye sighs and takes the glass of water Nat offers, ‘’what if there’s something wrong with me, like I have a brain tumor?’’

‘’We’ll figure it out together, I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I want you to tell me when you have one of these dreams okay?’’

‘’Roger roger’’.

‘’Do you think Ward has them too?’’

Skye snorts, ‘’doubtful, pretty sure we’re not both going insane’’.

‘’Are you going to forgive him?’’

‘’Probably’’.

‘’You don’t have to’’.

‘’I know, he had every right to defend himself, especially since I still don’t know why I went after Garrett like that. I’m not making excuses I just’’-

‘’You understand’’.

‘’If Ward ever went after you like that I wouldn’t show him mercy, he was pulling his punches’’.

Skye didn’t call him out on it but she noticed a few times after that first initial hit, he avoided putting his hands on her.

‘’Still doesn’t make it right’’.

‘’I know’’.

Skye groans and buries her face in a pillow, ‘’if Ward wasn’t so damn hot none of this would be a problem, he just had to seduce me with his stupid face and body’’.

Grabbing her phone for something to do she notices that Tony keeps monitoring the cameras and upgrading the already flawless security system.

‘’Tony stop hacking into my system!’’

Quake yells through the closed bedroom door.

‘’Can’t hack something you own!’’

‘’Knock it off!’’

‘’You’re not the boss of me Cupcake’’.

Nat rolls her eyes at the pair while Quake attempts to kick Stark off, which he replies, ‘’you’re not better than me!’’

The Avengers all stay the night and in the morning she’s on a jet with Bruce, that flashback before she attacked Garrett heavy in her mind.

*

_One Month Later_

Nick Fury’s office looks exactly the same as the last time Skye was here, same shiny floors, polished desk, Shield agents by the front entrance like they could really protect him if Quake lost her shit. Natasha stands next to her while Fury glares at them both, John Garrett at his side with a smug expression on his stupid face that Skye wants to punch off. If she was hoping this month away would lessen her hate for the other man, it was in vain.

She’s not going to kill him because she’s knows it’ll hurt Grant, doesn’t know why, just understands that if he dies it could possibly destroy Ward. So here she stands clenching her fists, using every ounce of training Natasha drilled into her to fight off the urge to leap over Nick’s desk and choke Garrett. Fury crosses his arms his glare now fully focused on Quake, who flicks him off.

‘’I’ve decided to let you back in, don’t make me regret it’’.

Skye corrects, ‘’you mean you realized how much you needed the most powerful person on the planet at your disposal’’.

Fury cracks a smile, ‘’I don’t see Thor here, do you?’’

‘’Bite me’’.

Garrett clears his throat and Nat takes Skye’s hand so her powers don’t roll inward.

‘’The Avengers and I agree that the world needs you, even though I don’t like you all that much Quake’’.

‘’The feeling is mutual’’.

‘’You’ll be able to continue with missions like you did before, on one condition’’.

Skye looks over to Nat who shakes her head, saying it’s not that big of a deal.

‘’You have to apologize to Agent Garrett’’.

Quake busts out laughing, only stops when she sees they aren’t joking.

‘’Oh you’re being serious’’.

‘’You attacked me unprovoked’’.

Skye takes a step towards Fury’s desk, ‘’I attacked you because you’re an asshole and I’ll do it again if you don’t keep your goddamn mouth shut’’.

‘’Quake’’.

‘’Fury’’.

Nat gives her a look that says, _‘you don’t have to mean it’._

With a dramatic sigh Skye narrows her eyes at him, ‘’I was having a shitty day when I saw you in my hotel room, my bad’’.

He smiles and it reminds her of Loki, ‘’thank you, Agent Ward is at the bar across the street if you want to say hi, think the boy has missed you’’.

Clearly dismissed Skye spins on her heel and walks out, tells Garrett over her shoulder, ‘’for the record, what you saw at the hotel is nothing compared to what I’m really capable of, I’d be careful if I were you’’.

She heads to the bar and answers a few texts in the Avengers group chat, suddenly nervous at the idea of seeing Grant again. They haven’t had any contact since that day in her apartment and she has no idea where they stand, how he feels about her, if they’re both still angry or he wants nothing to do with her. Skye wouldn’t exactly blame him for that, but she is also unaware of where she wants things to go, do they just pick up where they left off?

The bar is smoky and crowded when she walks in, more civilians than Shield agents thank god, she searches the room for that dark head of hair and smiles to herself when she finds him, apparently he’s forgiven for giving her a black eye. In a booth in the back with a glass of whiskey, he’s brooding, naturally, and the crowd around him parts and Skye stops in the middle of it, because he’s not alone. Sitting next to him is a woman with dark hair and judging by her smile and body language, she’s clearly into Ward.

The probability that he’d be with someone else while she’s been away didn’t even occur to her, she didn’t shack up with anyone in Brazil, it didn’t even cross her mind. The thought that this woman touched him or kissed him in the middle of the night causes a jealousy Skye should not have to well up, and she does what she does best; makes a scene, uses humor as a defense mechanism so she doesn’t get hurt.

After ordering a drink at the bar Skye walks right up to Ward’s booth, they lock eyes, and she slides in beside him. The woman gives a polite smile but it’s clear Skye’s presence here is not welcome, Grant on the other hand is not surprised, he probably knew she was here the second she walked through the door. 

‘’Can I help you?’’

The woman asks and Skye realizes Garrett sent her here on purpose because he’s a dick.

Skye takes a sip of beer, ‘’actually I can help you’’.

‘’With what?’’

Quake nods to Ward who still looks the same, sharp cheekbones and a leather jacket.

‘’That one, just a tip, he likes when you call him Daddy’’.

He doesn’t, Ward chokes on his drink anyway and the woman gapes at her.

‘’That’s not true’’.

‘’He also likes when you’’-

Ward cuts her off with, ‘’Skye this is Agent Palamas, Agent Palamas, Skye’’.

The hurt that surfaces is surprising, did he already replace her with another partner?

At the look on her face though she tries to hide it, Ward clarifies, ‘’we’ve worked together a couple times while you’ve been out of town, Skye is my partner’’.

And there’s the smugness in her veins she was hoping for.

Kara points at her with her glass of vodka, ‘’wait you’re Quake?’’

‘’Yeah’’.

‘’Holy crap, is it true that Natasha Romanoff’’-

‘’You know I’m really not in the mood to talk to anyone except Ward, so if you can leave that’d be great’’.

Seeing that she’s serious Kara looks over to Ward and he says he’ll see her around, she files out of the booth and Skye turns to Ward.

‘’You sleeping with her too?’’

‘’Excuse me?’’

‘’She’s not your type anyway’’.

‘’I’m not sleeping with her, not that it’s any of your business’’.

‘’Oh get the stick out of your ass Ward it was just a question’’.

‘’You’re jealous’’.

He leans back into the booth and Skye watches his every movement, decides being immature and lying isn’t going to get them anywhere.

‘’Yes’’.

‘’Don’t be, like you said she’s not my type’’.

‘’You prefer brunettes with earthquake powers that can kick your ass’’.

A smile lights his handsome face, ‘’ I do, if that’s still on the table’’.

She scoots a little closer to him and warns, ‘’I’m not going to apologize for what happened with Garrett’’.

‘’Didn’t think you were’’.

Not wanting to draw out the angst or second guess everything, plus she’s missed him, Skye reaches over and brushes his cheek with her thumb.

‘’I am sorry I hurt you though’’.

Grant sighs and holds her wrist, ‘’I’m sorry too. Why’d you do it?’’

‘’Would you believe me if I said the voices in my head told me to?’’

He regards her carefully and responds, ‘’yes’’.

Because everyone thinks she’s insane, that Whitehall screwed her up beyond repair.

‘’It’s not because I think you’re crazy’’.

‘’Most people that hear voices are’’.

Grant shakes his head, ‘’there’s more that you aren’t telling me’’.

Damn him and his Jedi mind reading powers, she tells him this and he simply says it’s just because he’s starting to get to know her.

‘’I went after Garrett because something told me to, something happened and I had to’’.

‘’What happened?’’

Nat has encouraged Skye telling him what’s really going on with the dreams, which after a few tests she does not have a brain tumor.

Bruce’s theory is the parallel universe option, Skye isn’t entirely sure she agrees.

She blurts it out quickly, ‘’ever since we met I’ve been having dreams about you, us, like we lived somewhere else and I can’t remember it’’.

Ward pales and surprise lights his face, before he can say anything Skye follows up with, ‘’I’m not insane okay? I don’t know why it’s happening but Bruce has this theory’’-

She stops when Grant’s hand cups her face and he says quietly like he’s scared, ‘’I’ve been having them too’’.

Shock covers her from head to toe, ‘’you have?’’

‘’At night, sometimes during the day I don’t know why’’.

‘’I had one with Garrett, like he did something to somebody and needed to pay for it I just don’t know who’’.

The fingers holding her face shake slightly but Ward recovers, ‘’Skye I can’t, we can’t work together if you keep trying to kill John’’.

This does not take her by surprise at all.

She takes a deep breath, ‘’okay’’.

‘’That was too easy’’.

‘’I had a lot of time to think these past few weeks, I figured is important and hurting him would hurt you, I’ve done enough of that already’’.

He kisses her, amazed that someone is apologizing for hurting him, that she’s putting his needs before her own. Skye loses herself in his arms, his lips, the way he holds her like the world doesn’t exist. They break apart and he blurs slightly, she gets a flash of an older Ward beside her his hands warm inside her own as he tells her, _‘’I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, it’s you Skye, it’s always been you’’._

Then the bar comes back into view and Ward is stroking the space behind her ear, the other hand on her thigh.

‘’You’re having one’’. He murmurs, lips so close to her own again, ‘’you get this look in your eyes like you’re somewhere far away’’.

‘’What do you think it means?’’

‘’I don’t know’’.

They stand on something unknown and are either going to jump off and die into below freezing water, or survive it together.

‘’What did you see?’’

Her stomach dips, ‘’should we really tell each other?’’

‘’Why not? We’re the only people experiencing this’’.

‘’What if we just let the other know when it’s happening and the context?’’

Understanding graces his handsome face, ‘’okay’’.

Skye is pretty sure that they’re going to scare each other off if the love subject is brought up so soon.

His thumb is still rubbing circles into her skin and it’s all she can focus on.

‘’Still hate me?’’

His breath drifts across her lips when he whispers, ‘’never’’.

‘’I am sorry I hurt you’’.

Ward smiles and she feels his teeth against her skin, ‘’two apologies from you in less than five minutes? Must be a record’’.

‘’Oh my god are you really trying to joke right now?’’

He kisses her once more, hand around her throat, ‘’I’m glad you’re back’’.

‘’Me too’’.

They stare at each other and Skye feels this burden fall off her shoulders now that she’s not alone in this.

‘’So your place or mine?’’

Without a word Grant leads her out of the booth holding her hand, and she has a feeling this is the beginning of something that could either ruin her, or give her someone to love for the first time.


	15. Everything She Touches Turns to Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward continue to try to figure out why they're dreaming about one another and get closer and closer as a result. Ward is realizing that he may just fall in love with her, and that's something he can't afford.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like these last few chapters have been kind of slow plot wise, but I also just need to have Skye and Ward continue to navigate through their relationship and working together, I can't just have life or death insane drama every chapter. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you to those who are still sticking around and reading! The small flashback scene here is so cute, I love when Skye is the romantic one.

Here are questions to ponder; when you’re a spy do you get what you deserve when the job is done? Even if you had the best of intentions going in, even if you were trying to save someone, do you still deserve the backlash from your deeds? When you’re a killer do you deserve forgiveness even if someone else is telling you to pull the trigger? When you’re a liar, so much so that they taste the same as truths spilling from your lips, why would anyone believe you afterwards?

And when you hurt someone you care about for someone else, do you deserve a second chance? Do you have to earn the kindness they offer or are you just supposed to accept it and move on? What do you do when the person you hurt has become so important that you can’t stand the thought of losing them? What do you do when the lines of your life begin to blur and for the first time in your entire life you want something for yourself? How do you get that, how do you justify it?

These questions keep him up at night, the choices he makes every single day weight heavy even though Garrett swore this would be easy. But with Skye around and them working with Fitzsimmons, Coulson and Agent May, Ward is finding himself drifting out to sea. Lying is easy, he can do it in his sleep, with a gun to his head, it’s the simplest thing he’s ever done and he’s perfect at it, but it’s the web that catches him sometimes.

How tangled he and John are in it, how Hydra is so intertwined with Shield that a war would happen if they came out into the light, how every strand is so delicately woven and sticky that one sharp fingernail could undo everything Ward and Garrett have worked towards. Skye is that sharp edge, that flame to this gasoline, one wrong move and this could all unravel, burst into flames at his feet. Which is why he has to keep her close to his chest, keep her blind to what he really is so that the person underneath this mask can do his job.

So far it’s working.

Strawberries and syrup on a plate on the nightstand next to a gun, his Shield badge, the early morning sun shines through the open curtains in Skye’s bedroom. The air smells of cinnamon and sugar, it’s so quiet he can hear their breaths rising and falling in sync, Skye is drawing random patterns on his chest and it’s so soothing she may lull him back to sleep. He really should get up and workout, start his daily routine because he’s already running late, but Ward doesn’t even mind right now.

Not when there’s a warm body nestled against his own and soft sheets are under his bare back, when someone who genuinely enjoys his company is in his arms, smiling at something he said. Grant can’t form attachments he knows this, every morning he has to remind himself of this and take stock of what’s really important and it’s not Skye. If he had to kill her in order to save John, he would, he nearly did a few weeks ago when she attacked Garrett in their hotel room.

It was easy to turn off the part of himself that had been with her just minutes before and slip into defense mode, to neutralize a threat coming after John like he had so many times before. To see her as the enemy and do whatever he could in order to protect John, get him out alive and survive for as long as he could. But then it changed when he struck her, something sharp sliced on the inside of his skull and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see her as a villain after that.

It was like he’d seen her in some kind of immense pain before and couldn’t bear to be the source of that again, which was why when he pulled the trigger when she was about to kill Garrett he took a non-lethal shot instead of the perfect kill one he had in sight. But he knew she was bulletproof, knew a gun wouldn’t take her out which was the point, all he needed was a distraction so her attention would be focused on him instead of John.

After the Black Widow and Captain America interfered and John left, Ward really considered just taking out the threat so Quake wouldn’t be a problem anymore. But everything inside him rebelled against the idea, his own voice screamed that would never happen, he refused to be the cause of her death. So he checked on John, accepted the punishment for letting Quake get entirely too close to ending his life, and went to apologize because Garrett told him to. 

John wants the Avengers on his side because he’s convinced if anyone can find this miracle cure it’s Quake, Iron Man and the Hulk, which was why he turned up on her balcony and gave the speech he did. Every word was true there was no deceit or hidden agenda involved, Grant was truly sorry he hurt her, he vowed then and there to never be the cause for physical pain regarding Skye ever again. Emotional pain however is a different matter entirely, he doesn’t like thinking about it. 

The month away from Skye was surprisingly difficult, he couldn’t sleep, ever mission was dull, his apartment was lonely and sad, it was as if the world was back to black and white and he didn’t realize how much color Skye brought with her until she was gone. Then a few weeks ago she walked into the bar and forgave him, his slate wiped clean like she poured bleach on all the red and everything was okay again.

Grant still can’t understand it. Why she’s here when she should hate him, they got into a fight for god sake, Skye shouldn’t be humming softly against his skin right now or planting a kiss against his ribs. He can’t help but wonder how she would react if Hydra reveals themselves like Garrett is suspecting they will, will her forgiveness then be similar to how it is right now? Or will that just be something so terrible she’ll hate him forever?

That he’d have to group Skye in the same category as his family and that, that makes him nauseous and so unbearably sad. Which it shouldn’t, this isn’t about her it’s always about John, he shouldn’t care about how she’s going to feel when his true face is revealed, but he does, that’s why he’s been up since three a.m. with his head spinning. The maddening thoughts are shoved aside however when Skye sits up, props her chin in her hand and sets her elbow on his chest.

She always looks beautiful but there’s something about her early in the morning that always leaves him a little breathless, a little unsteady. Maybe it’s the way the sun shapes her face or how she’s soft against the sheets of her bed, perhaps it’s because she looks younger as if the horrors of the world haven’t touched her yet in the privacy of her bedroom. Her left hand lies in the center of his chest and he has a flash of her ring finger being full of two sets of diamonds and a silver wedding ring.

An engagement ring he shouldn’t remember placing on her hand at a beach but does, their wedding where he promised her forever and slid that ring on her finger shouldn’t be in his brain because it never happened, but it is. And the eternity ring he gave her on a strange dance floor where they’re older than they are now, the way she smiled and kissed him, can’t be true because it’s impossible, so why does it feel real? 

Why are they having dreams about one another when they were strangers just a few months ago? He suspected she too had flashbacks of some life with him, but the relief he felt in that bar when she told him hit hard, they’re either both going insane together or there’s something else at work here. Ward isn’t sure he agrees with Bruce Banner’s theory on parallel universes, if so, wouldn’t they be dreaming about other people from that timeline instead of just one another?

Why is he only remembering being in love with Skye? Why is he not thinking of Garrett or Kebo, his family? Why is it only her? And how did they fall in love, what does it look like, was he capable of it there, can he do it here? Did he trick her and she had no idea who he really was, or did she accept all the baggage and ghosts that accompany him and love him anyway? Denial swims through his bloodstream at that, no one could ever accept the things he’s done and care about him anyway.

Kebo is the only exception, mainly because they became friends before Ward did so many things that left black marks on his soul, Kebo was already in deep at that point and wouldn’t walk away because they needed each other. He’s the only person in the entire world that saw the skeletons in Grant’s closet and didn’t run in terror, Ward still has no clue how he deserved the loyalty, the friendship but he isn’t going to complain about it.

Skye taps the space over his heart and asks, ‘’how old were you when you had your first kiss?’’

Ward has learned that her mind is sporadic and random, that she isn’t embarrassed by anything, it’s nice, never boring, keeps him on his toes.

He has to think about it for a second, ‘’thirteen, her name was Stephanie’’.

‘’Was it at your parents Country Club?’’

‘’No, private school in the parking lot’’.

She snorts, ‘’of course you went to private school’’.

‘’Only the best for the Ward family’’.

There’s honest bitterness in his tone that she doesn’t ask about.

‘’What about you?’’

‘’I was fourteen and it was at the movies, Charlie Henderson, he bit my tongue and I spent half an hour in the bathroom trying to stop the bleeding’’.

It sounds terrible but when no hurt shines in her eyes he relaxes slightly, ‘’do I need to find him and give him proper’’-

‘’Oh my god you are not my Knight in Shining Armor’’.

Seeing he’s teasing Skye smiles and moves onto her next question, ‘’how old were you the first time you killed someone?’’

That’s easy to remember, ‘’twenty’’.

‘’I was eighteen, I’ve got you beat by two years’’.

‘’It’s not a contest’’.

‘’Well if it was I’d win’’.

Ward has also learned that Skye is extremely competitive and hates losing, a trait she shares with Tony Stark.

A part of him thinks how sad it is that they were exposed to bleeding violence at such a young age.

‘’Worst date you’ve ever been on?’’

He could lie and make up some big story that’ll make her laugh, but being in deep cover requires some truth.

‘’Never been on one’’.

Skye smacks his chest in surprise, ‘’what?’’

‘’Never had the time’’.

‘’Oh my god no wonder you’re so socially impaired, how have you never been on a date? Have you seen yourself?’’

Of course he has, but the mirror hasn’t been a friend to Grant in a very long time.

‘’I’ve been more focused on my career’’.

‘’God you sound like such a Shield agent please stop’’.

He kisses her forehead, ‘’can’t imagine you have any bad date stories’’.

‘’A few, one guy was on his phone the whole time, another one spilled wine all over my dress then tried to take it off in the middle of the restaurant, this one dude said women don’t deserve rights then sobbed when I punched him’’.

To say it bothers him that all these men had Skye in their grasp and were assholes to someone as wonderful as her, would be an understatement.

He must be wearing his emotions because she cracks a grin, ‘’chill Rambo it was a while ago and I don’t need you to defend my honor’’.

‘’I know’’.

Physically Skye doesn’t need anyone, but emotionally she’s very dependent.

Thinking of what would benefit them both he suggests, ‘’maybe we could go to dinner one night when things are slow’’.

It sounds awkward to his own ears, but Skye perks up, ‘’oh my god is Grant Douglas Ward really asking me on a date? Do I need to rewire your circuits, pour oil on your’’-

He cuts her off with a kiss that she’s smiling into.

It turns into something more and soon she’s not asking anymore questions.

After a shower Ward is standing in her bathroom with shaving cream on his face, the bright lights of the mirror illuminating the face he’s grown to loathe. The same colored eyes as his mother that have seen unspeakable horrors, the cheekbones that have been used to lure people to their deaths and they had no idea, all they saw was a pretty face. So much blood has been spattered across his skin over the years, it should bother him any maybe one day it will, but not today.

He doesn’t regret doing the things he has because it was all for a greater more important purpose; save John, that’s all he’s supposed to. Grabbing the razor he starts shaving as Skye starts the shower, it’s such a domestic setting that he enjoys, like they’re living together, working together, as if they’ve lived this way before. He’s nearly done and is about to brush his teeth when Skye comes up behind him, wraps both arms around his bare back.

Grant hates being touched but with Skye he doesn’t flinch or mind it at all, her hands on him soothe instead of panic, feel right instead of foreign and wrong. He’s never had someone put their hands on him just because, normally it’s with violence or in a sexual setting, no one touches him because they care. It’s new and exciting and if he’s not careful Ward could get used to the affection Skye offers, and that’s something he can’t afford.

Wiping off the excess shaving cream he turns and takes her in his arms, buries his face in her soft hair. He shouldn’t be feeling the way he does about her it’s too soon, he shouldn’t be opening himself up to her because she’ll more than likely leave just like everyone else. If he’s being honest with himself though, he’d let Skye do whatever she wanted, ruin him, break his heart, use him, she could betray him and he wouldn’t bat an eye.

He gently kisses the corner of her eye, a reminder of how he hurt her, Grant is pretty sure he’s never going to forgive himself for that.

‘’Stop brooding’’.

She mumbles against his chest, her hands drifting up and down his spine.

‘’Sorry’’.

‘’Don’t be, I nearly killed you, if anyone needs to feel guilty here it’s me’’.

‘’Still I shouldn’t have’’-

‘’Ward I’ve literally been tortured in a basement before, you elbowing me in the face isn’t a big deal’’.

He winces, ‘’it is to me’’.

‘’Will you feel better if I punch you in the eye? Settle the score’’.

‘’Yes’’.

She leans away from him at that to look in his eyes, ‘’I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, Jesus Ward I’m not going to punch you in the face’’.

She flicks him on the nose before he can respond, ‘’seriously let it go, I have’’.

With a sigh he kisses her hair, ‘’alright’’.

He brushes his teeth while she rinses off, the hot water steaming up the mirror while he puts clothes and his toiletries in the black go back he brings here on late nights.

‘’Are you going to the Triskelion after your workout?’’

She asks now that they’re both fully clothed in the kitchen and he’s making a second breakfast for her while drinking a protein shake.

‘’Yes, I think we have a mission today’’.

‘’Alone or with Fitzsimmons?’’

‘’Fitzsimmons probably, Coulson and Agent May too’’.

Garrett has managed to have Ward working with them a lot these days, more pressure to get the answers they need.

‘’If it ends in another blizzard where we’re stranded count me out’’.

Last week they were trapped in North Dakota for three days because of the snow, Skye and Ward found creative ways to pass the time and share body heat, the rest of the team did not.

‘’Stop looking at me like that’’.

Ward’s gaze lingers on her lips and she smacks his arm, ‘’we’re never going to leave this apartment if you keep doing that’’.

He’s not sorry, but kisses her in apology anyway.

Grant is at the front door a few moments later about to walk out, when Skye grabs his shoulders causing him to turn into her kiss.

He could spend a hundred years with her lips against his and it still wouldn’t be long enough.

‘’See you later’’.

She breathes against his mouth, and the thought of leaving her puts an ache in his chest.

With a smile and a kiss to her nose he’s gone, going to run a few miles then workout in the gym in his apartment.

Headphones in though no music is playing, a trick he learned long ago, Ward breathes in the cold morning air and starts his routine. The world, his thoughts and usual panic over John fades as he runs one mile, then two, three, four. Six miles in and he heads to his apartment complex, works out, showers, checks the mail and folds a load of laundry. Hill finally emails him and he heads to the Triskelion, Skye, Hill and Coulson are waiting for him in the command room.

Skye is sitting cross legged on the glass table phone in hand, to-go cup of coffee in the other, clearly not listening to a word anyone is saying. She meets his eyes and smiles, it lights up her entire face and he swears he’d do anything to keep her happy for as long as possible. Standing beside her, Hill greets him with a nod and starts briefing them on the mission. Skye sighs dramatically in boredom a few times before directing her attention on something more interesting, him apparently.

Grabs his phone out of his slack’s pocket and does god knows what to it, probably upgraded security and passwords, changed her contact back to _‘The Woman I’m Currently Screwing’_ she did it last week and he switched back to just Skye, he’s thinking about bringing up the fact that she not just some random person he’s with to numb the pain, he genuinely cares about her. Sliding the device in his pocket after giving him a wink, she focuses back on the conversation just in time.

They are to track down a mad scientist named Mitchell Towns who has a knack for making bombs and targeting high traffic vulnerable areas, Shield has intel that he may be headed for a hospital right here in Washington. Ward’s job is to catch him, dismantle the bomb, have Fitzsimmons on standby in case it’s more chemical based than what can be shut down manually, and Skye is there to assist if it’s something that can be shut down by a computer, she’s also the much needed muscle. 

Mitchell is also known for his money and the small militia he carts around with him in the name of security, if all goes well they’ll be in and out in no time. Coulson and May will be supervising and running point, updating if anything goes wrong. Hill gives them the background on Mitchell while Skye yawns and rests her head against his hip. It startles him because he’s still not used to affection, and Shield has no idea they’re sleeping together.

She glances up at him in silent question if this is alright and he nods, she yawns again and closes both eyes.

‘’I’m sorry Quake am I boring you?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’If you’re not interested’’-

‘’Maria just point me in the direction of the fight, I don’t need any more details. That’s all Shield wants me for anyway, because I’m good at killing’’.

The comment hits close to home, that’s all Shield wants from him too.

‘’You’re good with a computer too’’.

Quake flicks her off in response.

‘’The hospital has been on lockdown since this morning, Homeland Security and the FBI are there now, we need to get in and get out as soon as possible’’.

‘’If the FBI are already there why do they need us?’’

Coulson and Hill share a look, ‘’because we think he might be using Shield related chemicals to make the bomb’’.

Skye opens her eyes at this, ‘’and how would he get his hands on that information?’’

‘’That’s what we need Agent Ward to find out’’.

Ah, torture, one of the other reasons Shield favors him.

‘’One more thing, Agent Rumlow and his team will be joining you as well’’.

Grant stiffens just slightly while Skye audibly gags, ‘’why?’’

‘’He’ll be checking in the buildings nearby just in case Mitchell decided to set anymore bombs’’.

Grant accepts these orders without hesitation, Skye climbs off the table about to follow him out when Hill asks her to stay behind, Coulson joins him instead.

‘’You and Quake seem to be getting along these days’’.

Ward pretends to be flustered even though this is none of Phil’s business.

‘’Yes sir’’.

They walk down the stairs and Ward adjusts his dark suit jacket, ‘’I’m not sure what this has to do with the mission Coulson but’’-

‘’She seems better recently, happier’’.

They stop at the foot of the stairs and Ward crosses his arms, ‘’I don’t know what you mean’’.

Phil smiles, ‘’Quake needs someone Ward otherwise she goes off the deep end, she needs a savior figure’’.

He’s not with Skye to soothe the chaos inside of her bones so she doesn’t go on some rampage.

Though he agrees even though he can’t voice it so instead he settles for another truth, ‘’you can’t save someone from themselves sir’’.

‘’You can if you get to them early enough’’.

He isn’t sure how to respond to that.

Grant is standing by a jet thinking about how much he hates hospitals and venting about it to Kebo via text message, when Skye walks in and of course catches his eye. She’s wearing a dress with a plunging neckline and a slit in the thigh, the nude colored silk wraps around her body like a second skin, and high heels that emphasize her long legs. Confusion hits next, they’re going to a hospital not a party or charity event, so what’s with the outfit?

The glare she’s sporting could light this entire hanger on fire if it were possible, she marches over to him and spits, ‘’get that look off your face’’.

Brushing past him she heads into the jet and he follows, as soon as the door seals shut she kicks off the shoes.

Brock Rumlow whistles from his seat, ‘’nice dress Quake’’.

She chunks the heels at his face, ‘’fuck off’’.

He shuts up when Ward glares at him and no one says another word about it.

Skye turns to him, ‘’we’re going to a hospital right?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’So why the hell did Shield dress me up like some kind of sacrificial race horse? I’m not an object to appease the male gaze, apparently my ass and boobs are going to distract Mitchell enough that he might forget he has a bomb in the basement’’.

Ward is not surprised they went with this defense, Shield uses whatever ammo it has to apprehend a target.

‘’It’s bullshit’’.

She finds a set of spare clothes making him realize she must use this particular jet often, or Tony Stark makes sure each one of them is stocked for her. Dressed in a dark shirt, black jeans and a leather jacket Skye sits next to him, her soft hair brushing his arm. Before he can blink a flashback is taking over, and he can hear crickets in the leaves, small creatures moving in between the trees, he can smell Skye’s vanilla perfume, feel her hand brushing his.

_Fresh moonlight spills across the grass, a summer breeze blows warmly across their skin, the porch lights are off as are the ones inside the house, a flashlight rests in between Skye and Ward so they aren’t completely blind in the middle of the night, the woods can grow so dark. On the ground with a blanket to cushion their bodies, the lay side by side in the meadow behind their home looking up at the sky, a bottle of wine in Skye’s hand._

_‘‘I’ve never seen this many stars before’’. She says quietly, a fact he already knew which is why he brought her out here. The Montana sky is brilliantly illuminated by the moon and stars, spread out infinitely across galaxies and planets for all to see. As a kid Grant was fascinated by Astronomy and spent as much time as possible studying and researching everything he could, so when Garrett dropped him in the woods it was one of the ways he could pass the time and go in the right direction._

_Skye lays beside him in a soft flannel shirt, her feet bare, moves so her head is on his shoulder, ‘’if I bear comes I’m throwing you in front of me to escape’’._

_Grant chuckles, ‘’we’ll be fine’’._

_She glances over to his right side where the rifle from their bedroom rests, ‘’I don’t know if I should be insulted or not that you brought that, I’m all the weapon we need’’._

_‘’I’m not going to use you to protect myself’’._

_‘’Oh my god that’s not what I meant and you know it’’._

_With a sigh he kisses her hair, ‘’people have used you your entire life, I never want to add to that. Besides bringing the gun along was more habit, I didn’t mean to offend you’’._

_‘’You didn’t’’._

_Skye drapes her body across his so she’s lying atop him their legs tangled together, ‘’you know how you say you’re not romantic?’’_

_Grant wraps both arms securely around her, ‘’I said that years ago when we first started dating’’._

_‘’This is pretty romantic, next you’re going to point out the Little Dipper then put your hand down my pants’’._

_‘’I’’-_

_‘’Feel free, but do you really want to do it so close to Kebo’s stupid cabin?’’_

_‘’Sex was not my intention when I brought you out here’’._

_‘’It was either that or you’re planning on killing me with an axe, I’m fine with either option’’._

_‘’Death isn’t on the agenda tonight’’._

_She rolls so she’s straddling him, ‘’alright then Douglas, take your pants off’’._

_‘’I was planning on pointing out constellations, showing you everything since you’re a city girl’’._

_Skye pauses, only half her face revealed by the flashlight._

_‘’Wait, you dragged me outside at one in the morning because I told you I’ve never actually seen stars because city lights are too bright?’’_

_‘’Yes, why did you think we came out here?’’_

_‘’Was I not being obvious enough?’’_

_She runs her hand down his chest, resting her fingers on his abs._

_Before he can respond she adjusts so her back his to his chest once again, he was starting to like her idea better._

_‘’Go’’._

_Is all she says and he grasps her meaning, grabs her hand and uses her finger to start pointing out every constellation in sight, a few stars he knows the names of._

_‘’Please tell me you didn’t name a star after me and this was all just a ploy to butter me up’’._

_He thought about it for half a second._

_‘’No, I know you’d hate that’’._

_‘’Thank god’’._

_If only he had a telescope._

_‘’Ward’’._

_Skye whispers, her hair soft against his skin._

_‘’What?’’_

_‘’Thank you’’._

_Holding her closer he replies, ‘’you’re welcome’’._

_Now she returns to her former position, knees over his hips her hair covering their faces._

_‘’If reincarnation is a thing I want us to come back as stars’’._

_His lips twitch trying not to laugh, knowing where she’s going with this._

_‘’Why?’’_

_Skye is deadly serious in what will be one of the cheesiest lines she’s probably ever said to him._

_‘’So our love can go on forever, or at least a few million years’’._

_Even though it’s corny he nearly starts crying, still not sure what the hell he ever did to deserve her._

_One hand on the back of her neck Ward kisses her._

_‘’I love you’’._

_The words have never been enough to truly capture just how he feels about Skye, but it’s something he just has to settle with._

_‘’Good, I don’t give out my best pickup lines for just anybody’’._

_‘’That was your best line?’’_

_‘’Oh don’t even start Grant, you nearly cried so it counts’’._

_Laughing he kisses her again and slips one hand up the back of her shirt while she takes off his sweat pants._

_‘’I swear to god Kebo better be asleep’’._

_‘’He is, I checked before we came out here’’._

_Her fingers drift past his belly button and no sarcastic comments leave his lips after that._

A familiar hand on his shoulder brings him back to the present, Ward takes a deep breath and glances around to see if anyone noticed his moment of weakness but no one is looking at him at all. Skye however is staring at him in worry but it fades when she sees he’s alright, she whispers quietly, ‘’you were having one weren’t you? You spaced out for a minute’’. Grant nods, unable to speak because it felt like he was really there in that meadow, and he’s starting to long for a life he’s never had.

‘’Were we happy?’’

‘’We’re always happy from what I’ve seen’’.

She squeezes his arm, ‘’what if Bruce is right and we really are remembering a life from a parallel universe?’’

Grant shrugs, out of his element on that one, ‘’I don’t know’’.

‘’Do you think we actually lived it or are just remembering times from it?’’

He has an odd feeling at the question, almost as if someone pokes at his arm from the inside as if that’s true and he should continue to recall every moment he can.

‘’And if we really did live somewhere else?’’

Skye looks up to the ceiling, around the jet, ‘’then how in the hell did we end up here?’’

And why can’t they remember it?

All Ward knows is that he’s deeply in love with Skye in those flashbacks and it’s starting to affect him here, like his alternate universe counterpart, he can’t imagine a life without her anymore.

They make to the hospital, sweep every inch of it and do it again, the FBI lets them go without any hold ups, there are a few stray doctors here and there because patients cannot be moved during surgery. Coming up with nothing, Skye, Ward Fitzsimmons and Coulson are in a hallway by a nurse’s station and decide to split up, Grant heads down to the basement while Skye and May check the ICU. An hour later and there’s still no sign of Mitchell or his men.

He finds Skye standing in front of a glass wall with her arms crossed, that long stretch of hallway seems never ending as he reads the signs on which section of the hospital they are now in. A small bit of grief brushes against his lungs though he isn’t sure why, babies are not supposed to be a sad occasion. So why is it that when he joins her side looking at newborns through the glass in their nursery beds, does he feel as if his heart is being scooped out?

Why does Skye have this overwhelming heartbreaking look on her face as she places a hand on her flat stomach? Seeing her in pain causes his own to flare up, he’d kill anyone else who put that look on her face, she says nothing as they watch new life cry and fall asleep. All wrapped up in white blankets and pale colored hats with tiny button noses and small fingers and toes, a longing Ward has never felt before enters him.

He’s never thought about having children before, his lifestyle is too dangerous and wouldn’t permit it. Plus he’s never been with anyone long enough to contemplate the idea, never wanted to shop for baby clothes or buy books online on how to be the best father in the world, he wouldn’t even know the first thing about raising a kid. Grant’s own father is a poor example so he’d have to model his parenting after Garrett, not that he has to worry about it right now.

Though the thought of having a son or daughter and teaching them the same ideals John taught him, causes a nervous sweat to break out on the back of Ward’s neck, it doesn’t feel right. Shoving all that aside because he’s never gotten anyone pregnant and has no intentions of doing so anytime soon, he focuses on Skye who has grown pale and shaky next to him. Never been the emotional type or comforting shoulder to cry on, he’s not entirely sure the protocol for this.

Skye speaks up before he can hug her, ‘’there’s a street in New York that always makes me sad’’.

Her voice is low and raspy like she’s been crying for a while though there’s no evidence of it on her face.

‘’It runs between a bar and a hotel, I can’t drive past it or even be in the car around it, I’m not sure why’’.

He knows exactly which intersection she’s talking about, can see the red light and shops surrounding it.

When he says the name of said street they both wince, even though he’s never stepped foot in the particular place they’re discussing.

‘’I think something bad happened there’’.

Skye whispers and her shaky hands still when Ward laces their fingers together.

‘’I can’t remember what it was’’.

Skye still isn’t looking at him when she replies, ‘’this is the first time I’ve looked at a baby and wanted one, and I don’t understand why it hurts so much’’.

Taking her in his arms to soothe feels natural and he’s not sure why he was so panicked before.

‘’I think our parallel universe counter parts went through something terrible’’.

She mumbles against his shirt and he runs a hand through her hair.

Even if it’s true and he has a feeling it is, why are they reacting to it?

It’s not like it happened to them personally.

Ward rubs her back and is expecting his shirt to be wet with her tears, but when she pulls back its dry and so are her eyes. He cups her face and kisses her forehead, being with her like this shouldn’t feel so right so soon, but Skye fits perfectly against him and he can’t help but want to touch her, hold her. A dangerous game he can’t afford to play, this has nothing to do with Garrett but he can’t stop, like he’ll suffer terribly if she’s not next to him.

Fingers drifting down her cheek he offers, ‘’we can talk when this is over, get a drink’’.

Skye turns away just slightly to compose herself before responding, ‘’sure’’.

‘’If you’re not okay you don’t have to’’-

‘’I’m fine’’.

Her tone is no longer full of sorrow, it’s that empty void he recognizes well.

She’s shut down and focused on the task at hand, something he needs to do too.

Skye takes one last look at the babies before walking away mumbling under breath, ‘’it probably doesn’t mean anything anyway’’.

Lying to yourself to stop the pain is also something Grant is intimately familiar with.

After sweeping all eighteen floors of the hospital and coming up empty, Skye, Fitzsimmons and Ward stand beside the ICU front doors and look out into the cold night. Rumlow and his team also came up with nothing and Ward is wondering if they had bad intel, when May alerts them via com that something could be happening at the front entrance. Telling the two scientists to stay put until he calls for them, Ward and Skye check it out.

‘’What are the chances that you’ll be able to shut this thing off without the science babies?’’

Skye asks as they take shelter behind a concrete wall and peek out.

‘’Eighty percent’’.

‘’Wow did you just come up with that off the top of your head or?’’

‘’It’s my job’’.

He spots a black vehicle that was not in the parking lot a few minutes ago, headlights off but clearly someone is inside. 

‘’Your job sucks’’.

Honesty spills out of him again, ‘’it’s the only thing I know how to do’’.

Ward is discovering that Skye makes him vulnerable, weak, a part of him doesn’t mind.

He’s about to move to get a better angle on the SUV when a rustling sounds behind him, Grant turns to find Skye opening a pack of sour gummy worms and trying to be quiet about it.

‘’Don’t look at me like that’’.

‘’This is a mission not a picnic’’.

He takes the package and tosses it aside, gets hit in the kidney for it.

‘’You are such an asshole’’.

‘’I’ll buy you more later’’.

‘’You better’’.

A fight breaks out, not that he wasn’t expecting anything different.

Mitchell’s men pour out of the shadows armed to the teeth dead set on the hospital, and are met with Skye’s powers and Ward’s fists. He’s got one eye on the targets he’s taking out, and the other on Skye because she’s important, and there’s something so beautiful about the way she fights. There’s an art to it, how she puts her entire body into it, uses every inch of bone and muscle to take out the enemy, Quake doesn’t even need to use her powers to dispose of anyone.

Natasha Romanoff is present in every move Skye makes, the way she stands and dances out of the way of a blow, her footing, how she uses the Black Widow’s signature move every time the opportunity presents itself. The only difference between Quake and Romanoff’s skills is that Skye is far more aggressive, where Nat would simply punch someone and move on, Quake doesn’t ease up until all the violence in her blood tells her to. 

She’s beautiful and deadly all at once and Ward finds himself not minding at all if she chewed him up and spit him back out. Skye could bury him every night and he wouldn’t put up a fight, there’s just something so right about her, like she’s the home he’s never had before and wasn’t even searching for one, didn’t realize he went without until she was right in front of him. Grant has to remind himself minute by minute that she’s a mark and this is about John, not himself.

If Garrett ordered him right now to shoot her in the head Ward wouldn’t have a choice, and for the first time that bothers him. Eventually the sea of men clears and Skye and Ward stand alone amongst a pile of bodies, Mitchell is not with them. Grant checks the SUV and finally finds the bomb tucked underneath the leather seats, a giant machine with a thousand wires and can only be set off by a detonator. Skye informs the team and Rumlow while Ward gets to work and she stands guard. 

‘’It’s an atomic bomb’’.

He says gravely, knowing this could take time they don’t have for him to shut it off.

‘’Holy shit, can you stop it?’’

The timer has three minutes and Grant shakes his head no, the only option he can try for is to drive this SUV somewhere isolated, though no matter what he does people are going to die.

Grant takes a deep breath, ‘’Skye go back to the hospital and look for Mitchell he has to be close by’’.

She pauses, looks between him and the bomb, ‘’what are you going to do?’’

‘’My job’’.

A flash of panic in her eyes, then the same sadness he saw earlier followed by fierce determination as she growls, ‘’no’’.

‘’We don’t have time to argue about this’’.

Fitzsimmons are in the com talking him out of it while Coulson and May are giving him directions on where to drive.

Grant hardly has time to think about his own life before he’s kissing Skye, and she’s clutching his chest before shutting the back door and jumping into the driver’s seat.

He starts the car and sighs when Skye is standing in the way and shoots him the middle finger.

‘’Move’’.

‘’I think I can stop it’’.

Before he can ask if she’s sure she’s opening the back door and throwing back the leather seats to get a good look.

Fitzsimmons also appear after running through the parking lot, out of breath they huddle behind Skye and Ward bites the inside of his cheek, they hardly ever listen to him.

Rumlow and his team show up just as Fitz opens the hatch to the explosive device/

‘’You sure about this Quake?’’

‘’Nope but I figure we’re all dead anyway’’.

‘’Two minutes’’.

‘’You are not helping’’.

Ward hunches down next to her and fear does not make a home inside his skin, both because of his training and because if he has to die, he’d rather do it by her side than alone.

She meets his eye for just a second and nods in understanding, he almost smiles.

‘’Quake whatever you’re going to do you better do it now’’.

‘’You two should get out of here’’.

Both Leo and Jemma shake their heads and Ward nearly smacks Fitz.

Skye glares at Rumlow, ‘’you’re not stupid enough to stay here’’.

‘’Neither is Agent Ward but here we are, I trust that you won’t blow us up Quake’’.

‘’God I hate you’’.

She looks at the bomb then tells Grant to video call both Tony and Natasha until they answer.

They don’t have time for this but he knows why she’s demanding it.

Ward finishes dismantling it as Fitz tells Skye where the energy source is, she spreads out her hands just as Iron Man and the Black Widow’s faces appear on his phone, he spreads the images out so it projects in front of them on the seat.

‘’Cheekbones why are you calling me?’’

‘’It’s for me’’.

Stark lights up when he sees Skye but it quickly fades, ‘’oh god what are you doing?’’

‘’Stopping an atomic bomb’’.

Iron Man looks at Nat’s blue lit face in panic, ‘’I’m sorry did you hear that? Because it sounded to me like our Quake is doing something stupid again’’.

Romanoff’s response sounds calm and collected but there’s an edge to it when she replies, ‘’Skye knows what she’s doing’’.

Tony is a flurry of movement and chaos as he stands from wherever he is and the Iron Man suit spreads out over his body, ‘’I’m coming to you’’.

‘’You won’t make it in time Dad’’.

Nat just stares with a blank expression on her face as Tony goes outside and takes off in flight.

‘’Stay’’.

Skye commands both of them and the Black Widow nods, ‘’of course’’.

‘’Cut that shit out Skye, this isn’t funny. Why does it always have to be you? Why can’t someone else take a risk every once in a while?’’

‘’Well Ward was going to but you know how I love attention’’.

Skye has both hands on either side of the chamber and the power source lights up the van, a deadly force of energy between her palms and Skye isn’t even sweating. Grant braces himself as Skye twitches her fingers, the whole world seems like it’s shaking and spinning under the weight of her powers. It lasts for ten seconds before the chemicals in the bomb shutter and buckle, falling back into the machine and the timer stops.

Out of breath Skye crumbles onto the floorboard and Ward catches her, braces her in his arms as Tony’s curses and Nat’s sigh of relief fills the air. ‘’Well that worked’’. Quake hides her trembling hands against his back while Fitzsimmons cheer and hug her, Ward smiles and holds her juts a little tighter while Rumlow and his team check to see if Mitchell has shown up. Nat winks at Quake and hangs up while Tony is yelling how she’s going to give him a heart attack one day.

They file out of the car just as Rumlow says they have eyes on the target, he’s posing as a doctor and is walking out of the hospital’s basement. Ward heads that way while Skye and Fitzsimmons follow, he tries to convince the other two to wait in the car but they insist on doing another sweep of the hospital just in case. Grant keeps an eye on Skye for any signs of injury or fatigue, but she shows none, looks like she could go another ten rounds without any problems.

For a second there Ward truly considered what would happen if he died, not for the first time in a life or death experience, and for the first time instead of seeing John in his eyes, all he saw was Skye. He’s not sure what to do with that. Grant catches Mitchell and is forced to tackle him when he runs away, handcuffs are placed on him and Skye punches him in the face twice before Rumlow escorts Mitchell out. 

Back in the parking lot now with Leo and Jemma, Skye turns to him and he can’t read her face or get a feel on where his head is at, so imagine his surprise when she slaps him across the face. His head turns by the power of it, Fitz whistles while Simmons gasps in shock, while Ward is confused. Violence is always met because of something he did wrong, Grant can’t think of anything he screwed up on until Skye clarifies, fire in her eyes.

‘’That self-sacrificial crap you tried to pull was bullshit Ward’’.

‘’I was doing my job’’.

‘’I swear to god if I hear you say that one more time’’-

‘’It wasn’t any different from what you did’’.

She throws up her hands, ‘’yes it was! You were going to kill yourself while I was willing to kill all of us, there’s a difference’’.

‘’That’s the problem’’.

‘’What does that mean?’’

‘’You’re not willing to lay your life down for others, I am, I’m a Shield agent you’re not, you don’t have the same code, it’s fine’’.

‘’And you don’t think there’s anything wrong with that?’’

‘’No’’.

She crosses her arms, defensive once again as she echoes him, ‘’that’s the problem’’.

Nothing he says here is going to win him any points which is why she sighs, ‘’promise me it won’t happen again’’.

‘’You know I can’t do that’’.

Skye takes a step closer, her boots brushing against his own, and she looks so young here in front him, so worried as if he’s something precious to her.

‘’Lie to me’’.

Later, she’s going to regret her demand but he’s not going to hate his answer.

Subtly putting a hand on her waist and drawing her closer he says, ‘’I promise it won’t happen again’’.

Her brown eyes search his as she puts a hand over his heart, ‘’good, can we leave now? You owe me a beer’’.

Grant is all too happy to oblige, wanting to get as far away from this hospital as possible.

They’re walking back to the Shield SUV when movement catches his eye behind Fitz and before Ward can really consider it he’s throwing himself in front of the younger man just as a hand holding a knife strikes. Apparently Mitchell’s personal security militia were not as dead as Skye thought, the knife slices across Ward’s calf but he doesn’t feel it, just breaks the man’s neck as blood pours out onto the concrete. 

Grant turns back to the trio who are wide eyed and Fitz looks a little green, ‘’thank god we’re at a hospital right?’’

Skye turns to Simmons, ‘’great, the robot has jokes now’’.

‘’Let’s get him inside’’.

Coulson appears and shoulders Ward’s weight between himself and Skye, everyone ignores his claim that he can walk.

Ward is thinking about his little brother Thomas when they find a doctor to stitch up his leg and rush him into a private room, the Well flashes in his mind, the cold water, his screams, Christian’s demand that Thomas be punished and Grant does not need to interfere. The dull tug and pull of the needle and thread helps distract the ghosts of his past, the smell of disinfectant and bleach give him a headache by the time the doctor is done.

He’s giving instructions on proper care and handing him clean gauze when Skye walks in, the concern in her face is something he can’t get used to since no one besides Kebo has ever matched the expression. She sits on the bed next to him until the doctor is finished and walks out, once they’re alone she wraps both arms around his bicep and lays her head against him.

‘’You going to slap me again?’’

‘’I’m thinking about it’’.

‘’It was better that I was hurt instead of Fitz’’.

‘’He’s not a child’’.

‘’He’s innocent, most Shield agents aren’t’’.

Skye sighs and kisses his clothed shoulder, ‘’you scared me for a second there’’.

Grant shudders at this though he hides it, how can he already care so much for Skye when they’ve only been together for a few weeks?

How can he have an emotional response to her when she tried to kill the person he loves most in the world?

Skye takes off her leather jacket and goes back to wrapping her arms around him, ‘’Tony is here looking for me, I can only hide for so long before he finds us’’.

Ward stretches so his arm is around her back, ‘’he’s just worried about you, I was too’’.

‘’I’m not made of glass’’.

‘’Neither am I’’.

Grant would love to say that driving that bomb filled SUV was a purely selfless act, that all he cared about was keeping everyone safe but he had a hidden agenda like he always does. But the heroic act would have earned him even more points and trust, not that he’d need it because he’d be dead. He’d be forever immortalized in Shield’s history as a savior and it would make John look good. It never occurred to him until now he’d rather be remembered as a hero than a traitor. 

Not that it matters anyway as long as John survives Ward could care less what happens to him or what people think about him. He also didn’t have perfect intentions with Fitz either, jumping in front of that knife was another way to gain their trust, make them believe in Agent Ward and everything that comes with it. Turning slightly he notices Skye’s fingers are lightly bruised, dried blood on her knuckles and underneath her nails, he kisses the back of her hand and she touches his face.

‘’You should stay with me tonight’’.

‘’Alright’’.

Her fingers drift over the corner of his lip, ‘’sorry I hurt you earlier’’.

‘’It’s fine’’.

She seems distraught, ‘’it’s really not, I don’t want to hurt you’’.

Ward feels himself smile as he repeats what she said to him once, ‘’I wouldn’t stress about it’’.

‘’Keep it up with the jokes Agent Ward, you’re not as funny as you think you are’’.

He kisses her forehead, ‘’I’ve heard that before’’.

She leans up and kisses him slowly, running her hand through his hair and it makes up for the drama of the mission, the highs and lows of nearly dying and then surviving.

The door flies open and in walks Tony Stark who takes one look at Skye and starts scolding like a parent before lifting her off the hospital bed and hugging her. For a second just a second, it makes Ward miss his family, miss Kebo, and even though he’s been trained to work on his own and not get attached, it’s already begun with Skye and he’s not sure if he can stop it.


	16. I'm No Sweet Dream But I'm A Hell Of A Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye realizes exactly what she feels for Ward, and. a breakfast date ends badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Skye, I love her so much. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!
> 
> Also the flashback in this chapter had me swooning, I love Ward's romantic side. I love how much he loves Skye.

There is such a thing as phantom pain, you can’t see it but you feel it like something physical, a knife in your chest, an arrow to the heart. Medical experts say it happens when you lose a limb, the nerves are gone but your body still thinks it’s there. Studies have been published, pills swallowed, therapy has had breakthroughs and people have healed. But what is your body supposed to do when you were once pregnant but can’t exactly remember?

What are your arms supposed to hold when they’re empty but should be soothing a newborn to sleep? How can you close your eyes at night knowing you were supposed to be a mother but something or someone took your child away from you? Skye keeps asking herself these questions but no one has any answers, she stares out windows, up at ceilings but no one cares to respond. In the weeks that followed the hospital mission with Ward she’s felt off, trapped in a skin that feels like she doesn’t belong in it.

Seeing those babies in that nursery sparked something in her she can’t explain, as if the flashbacks were trying to tell her something and a child is a major piece of the mystery surrounding her and Ward. Skye doesn’t have children, never thought about being a mother, never considered a kid, she’s had one pregnancy scare and it was years ago. So she has a theory that if an alternate version of she and Ward are really out there, they experienced the loss of their baby.

But why is it affecting her like she went through it? Why has she caught the same sad look on Grant’s face when he thinks she isn’t looking? Why does she feel the echo of a pain so deep rooted like it destroyed them once upon a time? Are these flashbacks really from an alternate universe, or did they once live it like reincarnation and just can’t remember? The Avengers are supportive but they don’t understand her attachments and feelings about it, only Ward does.

He’s recently started to tell her the context of the dreams he has and it’s brought them closer together, but it doesn’t feel rushed or too soon. Being with him has been easy, simple, their banter, how they’ve worked together flawlessly from day one, it just feels natural. Skye thought she understood what a strong emotional attachment was, but she’s never felt like this with anyone else, it’s like Ward opened up a side to her she wasn’t aware was there.

Skye isn’t alone anymore, she wakes up and he’s there, goes to sleep and he’s breathing next to her, brushes her teeth and he’s shaving in her bathroom. This domestic setting they’re in feels right, like they’re living together and it’s not intimidating or scary, it’s a kind of bliss she wasn’t looking for and now she wouldn’t give it up for anything.

Currently she’s standing in her room with the door half open staring at the floor length mirror propped against the far wall. Dark hair spilling over her shoulders in curled waves, wearing a black sports bra and sweat pants, a steaming cup of coffee on the cluttered dresser to her left. Right hand resting against her flat stomach that was once round and though she hasn’t had any dreams about being pregnant it’s just a feeling like muscle memory, her brain may not recall but her bones do.

Perhaps it’s sympathy for her alternate other half, no one should ever have to bury their child, it’s a tragedy a mother shouldn’t ever have to go through. The lightness of her left hand gives Skye pause, her ring finger should have three sets of diamonds on it placed there by Ward several years ago, another fact she shouldn’t know because they’ve only known each other for a few months. But it feels like they belong together, no matter how stupid that sounds.

If he wasn’t so damn hot and good in bed, this wouldn’t be a problem. He just had to be in that bar with his dumb face and those abs and pull her down with him. Skye grabs the mug of coffee and takes a sip just as Grant walks in the room gloriously shirtless only wearing black boxer briefs. Smoldering whiskey eyes meet hers in the glass as he glides across the hardwood floor, barefoot like they live together and he’s just allowed to do that.

Saying nothing she’s silent as he comes up behind her, wraps an arm around her waist and bends to kiss her bare shoulder. She stiffens lightly and of course he picks up on it, loses his hold but doesn’t let her go because neither of them really wants that.

‘’You’re still mad about yesterday’’.

It’s not a question and he’s half right.

She runs her fingers up the arm banded across her waist, ‘’your Jedi mind powers are really annoying’’.

‘’Again, can’t read minds’’.

‘’Doubtful’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Fine maybe I’m slightly pissed’’.

‘’I thought you said you could handle it’’.

‘’Do not use your S.O. tone on me’’.

‘’You said you wouldn’t have a problem with me doing my job’’.

‘’I don’t’’.

‘’It’s just certain aspects of my job you have an issue with’’.

‘’Oh my god can you be blunt for once in your life? I thought I was fine with you screwing a target but apparently I’m not’’.

Grant hesitates before answering, like he’s thinking very carefully on what he wants to say.

‘’I can’t change it Skye’’.

‘’That’s a cop out and you know it’’.

This time he pulls away and sighs, ‘’I’ve been with Shield for years, I’m not going to stop just because you have a problem with how I extract information out of a mark’’.

Last night they had a mission to infiltrate a party, grab the target and seduce the information out of her.

Ward of course did it perfectly exactly the way Shield wanted, resulting in a jealous reaction from Skye that surprised them both.

‘’How would you feel if the situation was reversed?’’

A dark look sweeps through his eyes before it’s cleared away and he replies, ‘’I wouldn’t hold it against you’’.

‘’I’m not holding it against you Ward, I’m just not going to sleep with you after your dick has been inside someone else’’.

‘’I’m not asking you to, this isn’t about sex’’.

She puts her hands on her hips, ‘’so if I say you’re never getting laid again you’d be fine with it?’’

He doesn’t even blink, ‘’yes’’.

Skye has no response to this, Ward approaches her carefully like she’s a caged animal.

‘’I just want to be with you, that’s all I care about, everything else is just background noise’’.

It’s the look in his eyes that causes her to melt, when was the last time any man put her first?

How did she find him?

Her mood dissolves as she lets it go and grabs her coffee mug, walks out of the bedroom and says, ‘’I hope you used a condom’’.

He follows her into the messy living room, ‘’I didn’t actually sleep with her so’’.

Skye whirls around and nearly throws the mug at him, ‘’you could have started with that’’.

‘’I was getting to it’’.

‘’Sometimes I really want to push you out of a window’’.

‘’If it makes you feel better’’.

‘’Jesus Ward, I was kidding’’.

She honestly can’t tell if he was or not.

He does that sometimes she’s noticed, she’ll tease him with a comment like that and he’s totally fine with a violent action, wonders what his childhood was like. Before she can ask he’s making breakfast and she’s sitting on the couch scrolling through her phone. After a sparring session they shower together and are dressed in the living room ready for the day, Grant is reading a message while Skye laces up her combat boots.

‘’For future reference by the way, I only like my hair pulled during’’-

‘’I got it’’.

Kissing the back of her head, he asks if she’s ready to go and Skye nods.

That’s also something she’s come to adore, the absentminded touches, the thoughtless caress of his hand against her body.

Something whispers in the back of her brain that she’s going to miss it once he’s gone.

The diner is crowded when they enter minutes later, having just enough time to eat before they have to go to work. Ward predictably heads for a booth in the back, sits against the wall so everything in the small restaurant is visible; every entrance and exit point, every window, the bathrooms, the kitchen and each member of the staff, all fifteen of the sleepy eyed patrons sipping coffee and watching the fuzzy television mounted on the walls.

Skye sits across from Ward as he orders coffee, she’s thinking about their date the other night and how well it went, how easy it was to sit in a fancy restaurant and sip wine, laugh at his dry humor and talk about anything and nothing. She loves the simplicity of their relationship, the domesticity of them waking up together and brushing their teeth together. Ward stays at her apartment more often than not, and it’s not scary or intimidating or like they’re moving too fast.

It’s just natural and right, like they’ve lived together for years. She’s thinking about what happened after the date, how they went back home and he took off her dress, hands hot on her skin when Grant clears his throat. 

‘’Stop looking at me like that’’.

A smirk spreads across her face as she feigns innocence, ‘’like what?’’

‘’You know what’’.

‘’I’’-

‘’We’re three seconds away from going back to your apartment and not leaving for two days’’.

She gasps, ‘’Agent Ward are you flirting with me?’’

‘’No’’.

Skye taps his ankle with her foot, ‘’I think you are and I’m okay with it, you’re a little rusty though’’.

‘’I am not’’.

‘’Is that why you didn’t sleep with your target last night? Couldn’t make the sell?’’

‘’Didn’t have to’’.

She searches his face to make sure he’s alright, something tells her he’s not as stone cold about those types of missions as he pretends to be.

‘’You know you don’t have to sleep with anyone you don’t want to, right?’’

Confusion swims in those whiskey eyes, ‘’that’s the job’’.

‘’Doesn’t have to be’’.

‘’You do the same thing I do, don’t be a hypocrite’’.

‘’We were talking about me not you’’.

‘’So why is it okay for you to sleep with a target but not me?’’

Feeling that familiar guilt grab ahold of her ribs Skye replies, ‘’I have red in my ledger, I’m doing whatever it takes to bleach it out’’.

He takes a sip of coffee, ‘’you’re not the only one’’.

She snorts, ‘’what could you possibly have to feel guilty about? You’re Shield’s Golden Boy’’.

‘’It’s not exactly guilt, and you have no idea’’.

‘’Okay Mr. Cryptic’’.

The waitress comes to take their order, Skye is handing back her plastic menu when the room blurs and fades slightly.

A flashback pulls her in but not as strongly as normal, instead it’s just a cloudy image of a familiar living room that she’s never stepped foot in. She sees the outline of herself with a suitcase in hand, the handle digging into her knuckles and she can feel the heartbreaking pain her other half is in. Stopping at the red front door Ward appears and stops in his tracks, he looks tired, bags under his eyes and shaking hands. A look of unfathomable sorrow enters his face as tears well, and then fall down his cheeks.

_‘’Please don’t do this’’._ He sounds broken, defeated, like he’s on the edge of a knife about to lose his balance and nothing can save him. Skye hesitates but walks out the door, not looking back, cries when she gets in the car and vows never to return. There’s too much heartache in that house, in Ward’s face, she can’t bear it. 

A hand rubbing circles into her knuckles has Skye blinking into the present, the smell of the diner comes back and the darkness of the flashback disappears, leaving only confusion like always and sympathy. Grant is staring at her in deep concern, it takes a second to figure out why; she tastes salt water on her lips and her face is wet with tears. Wiping her eyes with a napkin she squeezes Ward’s hand and takes a deep breath, so sure that in the flashback they broke up.

‘’You were having one’’.

It’s easy for both Skye and Ward to tell when the other is having on of these flashbacks, they get this faraway gaze on their face, this specific look in their eyes.

She nods, ‘’yeah’’.

‘’Are you okay?’’

‘’I think I was leaving you’’.

Almost as if it actually happened to him in this lifetime, Ward’s face falls and that same heartbreak she saw on him just a second ago appears full force in his cheekbones.

She should probably panic at that because they haven’t been together long and the thought of being apart shouldn’t be a devastating life altering thing.

But it is, and she feels the way he looks at the idea.

‘’What happened?’’

The words are tough as he asks through clenched teeth, like he’s trying to compose himself.

Skye doesn’t even think about it as she moves to his side of the booth and sits next to him.

Places what she hopes is a comforting hand on his cheek, rests the other one against his heart.

‘’I don’t know, but I know it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done’’.

Fingers drift down her cheek and the world shrinks into shades of gray and black and his face, the way the light shines through those whiskey eyes and warms his jawline.

‘’The last thing I ever want to do is leave you, I don’t want either of us to be alone anymore’’.

He kisses her his hands in her hair, Ward, who never shows displays of affection in public has his tongue in her mouth and doesn’t seem to care about anyone else here.

‘’Stay’’.

Grant whispers against her lips as she cups the back of his neck.

‘’Always’’.

It’s a promise she shouldn’t make but does anyway, believes that nothing is ever going to break it.

They break apart and he’s moving the hair away from her face, thumbs lingering on her cheekbones, ‘’I’d follow you anyway’’.

She laughs even though she has a feeling that in that flashback he didn’t, but doesn’t correct him.

‘’Of course you would’’.

Skye kisses him again then moves back to her side of the booth, ignoring the stares from the other customers.

The waitress comes out with their food, eyes glued to Ward as she asks if they need anything else.

It’s Quake who answers, ‘’I’ll let you know if we do’’.

Skye is a possessive person by nature and that hasn’t lifted with Ward, probably never will.

He doesn’t seem to mind, just smiles as he eats his egg whites.

It’s not until she’s halfway through with the food that Skye starts to feel off, her legs are tingling and she feels increasingly slow to respond, like she’s drunk. Her hands feel heavy, head starts to throb, the table blurs and twists. Looking up at Ward she asks if he feels the same and he nods, pulls her to his side of the booth and wraps a protective arm around her shoulder as they stand. Supporting her weight they stumble and Quake notices that no one asks if they’re alright or in need of any help.

The answer to why that is comes a moment later in the form of three black SUV’s speeding into the parking lot. Skye is halfway gone at this point as Ward shoves her behind him, his arms shaking as he pulls out a gun, the last thing she sees is men dressed in black with bulletproof vests on, guns strapped to their backs, helmets on their heads, and then Ward taking a shot. It all goes dark after that, someone must have drugged them.

Skye wakes to the smell of barnyard animals and hay, the sun beating down on her face and the feel of her body being so heavy. Keeping her eyes closed because she’s probably in enemy territory and doesn’t want them to know she’s awake, she takes in her surroundings. Her powers are still here but muted and muddled, like there’s something thick in her veins and they’re trying to swim through, she’s lying on something itchy and hard, and she’s not alone. 

A heartbeat, though faint, sounds through her palms and she knows without even looking its Ward’s. The back of her head aches and so do her arms but otherwise Quake can’t feel any other injuries, there’s no one else here with them. Opening one eye just in case Skye finds that they’ve been placed in a barn, it’s a small space filled with hay, a tractor and farming equipment. There’s not a body in sight except for Ward’s who is bloody and bruised, his knuckles split open, a cut on his cheek.

Confused because if Ward fought back against whatever happened, how the hell did they end up captured? He must have been drugged too which means this was a planned thing, whoever took them has to know who they are. But why? As far as she knows they don’t have any enemies, no one knows about Shield or its agents and assets, they definitely don’t know about Quake, so what the hell is going on? 

Grant doesn’t stir when she moves as close as she can to him, huffs when she realizes their hands have and feet been bound by thick shackles that are already irritating their wrists. Skye lays her head on his shoulder and nudges his neck with her nose just as the steel doors open. She realizes there’s matching needle marks in her and Ward’s arms, which means they were drugged a second time, who knows how long they’ve been unconscious.

Three men walk in wearing the same vests she noticed earlier, automatic weapons still on their backs but no helmets, each one has a hand gun strapped to their hips, knives attached to their ankles. By the way they carry themselves she can tell they’re professionals, how else could they manage to capture two of Shield’s best? She’s going to eat them alive whenever the drugs leave her system, the constant need for blood and revenge burns as she comes up with a plan.

Seeing she’s awake they approach her first, check that the shackles are still secure, and say nothing, just stare at her. One of them has a scar on his lip, has blonde hair, the other is bald, the last one has long dark hair that’s pulled back by a ponytail. Scar face bends down and lifts her up by the shoulders, throws her against the wall as the other steps in front of Ward so he’s blocked from her view. Shaking off the slight pain Skye raises her chin to her captors and clenches her fists.

‘’Your boyfriend put up quite the fight’’.

The bald one says as he kicks Ward’s leg, he doesn’t make a sound or move.

‘’You must have drugged the hell out of us’’.

They smile, ‘’yes’’.

Skye laughs, ‘’that’s the only way you pussies could take us on, if he was awake and I was at full strength you all would be dead’’.

‘’Is that so?’’

‘’Did the person who hired you not give you the full run down on who we are? That’s like rule number one, what a dumb ass’’.

They exchange a look and Skye knows she guessed correctly, someone hired them to capture and probably kill Quake and Ward.

Only question is why? No one outside of Shield knows they exist, so was it an inside job?

If so, this is why she hates Shield agents.

‘’Look I’ll make you morons a deal, let us go and I won’t kill you’’.

She’s lying of course, but they don’t know that.

The one with dark hair chuckles, ‘’you’re in no position to make threats sweetheart’’.

Quake may not be at her best but she doesn’t need her powers to kick their asses.

‘’I’ll give you a second to decide’’.

Rising from the floor she balances on the tips of her toes as they laugh, ‘’you’re not in charge here’’.

‘’I’m always in charge’’.

They all make a move at the same time, Skye grabs the nearest guy and uses her bound hands in the shackles as a weapon, strikes him across the face and uses her elbows in his spine. It doesn’t go the way she planned on account of the drugs in her body, all three of them manage to grab and hold her down, a kick to the ribs and a fist to her temple has Skye blindsided for a second. That’s all the pause they need as they stick another needle in her arm and drag her out of the barn.

The next time she’s awake feels like hours later and her entire body aches, feels raw. Eyes struggle to open as sunlight pours in and what happened to her is fuzzy. They took her out of the barn, placed her on a couch, made several phone calls in Spanish then drew her blood, stuck a needle in her spine. Clearly they know she’s Inhuman and no one but a Shield agent would know that, so who hired these idiots? There are more than three of them, Skye vaguely counted thirty people in whatever room she was in.

At least two ribs are broken she realizes when she inhales, a pinky too and her arms are bruised, but Skye has no recollection of fighting anyone, unless the marks are because of her powers trying to get out but they can’t, otherwise this would have been over a long time ago. Opening her eyes fully she’s back with Ward who is not in the same spot she left him, he’s across the barn lying against a wall, another bruise against his jaw and a cut against his collar bone, the blood dry.

What the hell is going on? Stumbling over to him Skye feels pain shoot up her leg, her ankles are swollen from the shackles, she lands next to Ward and rams her shoulder into his. Before he can attack her Skye hisses that it’s her and his brown eyes open. One is red and slightly swelled but his nose isn’t broken and he doesn’t seem terribly injured. He takes one look at her and his entire body tenses, fire lights his eyes as she lays her head on his shoulder.

‘’So how’s your day going?’’

He doesn’t laugh, ‘’great’’.

‘’I can’t believe they put us in a barn, a barn, I’ve been tortured in way nicer places’’.

Ward rests his head against her own, ‘’how hurt are you?’’

‘’Not too bad, I’ve had worse. You?’’

‘’Don’t worry about me’’.

‘’Grant’’.

At her stern tone he sighs, ‘’a few cuts and bruises nothing major. Who the hell are these guys?’’

‘’I think a Shield agent hired them for me, you were just caught in the crossfire’’.

She tells him about how they drew her blood and spinal fluid, the phone call.

‘’What exactly did they say?’’

‘’I don’t know Ward I don’t speak Spanish’’.

‘’Can you try to remember? I may be able to piece it together’’.

‘’Now is not the time to show off your Superspy skills’’.

‘’Skye’’.

‘’Fine, god you’re broody today’’.

‘’We’ve been kidnapped and tortured, forgive me for not whistling show tunes’’.

She gives him a fond look, ‘’you’ve been hanging out with me too much’’.

Trying her best to roughly translate all Ward can get is that they’re being paid ten million dollars to do this.

‘’What kind of asshole has ten million lying around? Fury pays his agents shit’’.

‘’No one that I can think of’’.

The barn door opens as Ward says, ‘’I’m sorry’’.

‘’This isn’t your fault’’.

‘’Pretend like you’re unconscious’’.

‘’Why?’’

‘’Can you just do it please?’’

‘’Pass’’.

‘’Skye’’.

‘’Stop using your S.O. voice on me, it’s a turn off’’.

She does as he asks though, knowing he probably has a perfectly executed plan to get out of this.

‘’Are we going to have to tase you again?’’

One of them asks Ward who says nothing.

‘’You and your girlfriend put up one hell of a fight, got anything else for us?’’

‘’You have no idea’’.

There are four of them in here and they all laugh.

‘’We’re going to drug you two one more time and then when you wake up we’ll be rich and you’ll be far away from here’’.

‘’Good, I need a change of scenery’’.

‘’You think you’re so tough huh?’’

‘’None of you would be able to take me on if you didn’t drug me’’.

He’s goading them, good plan.

‘’Cocky son of a bitch’’.

‘’Just good at what I do’’.

‘’And what is that exactly?’’

Ward deadpans, ‘’killing’’.

They go back and forth for a while and then when they’re all distracted Ward makes his move.

Skye opens her eyes as Ward springs up without warning and rams something sharp into the closest one’s neck, before blood even pours out he’s already on the second guy, breaking his neck with one sharp quick movement and moving onto the third. Shatters his jaw with one punch and rams his face into the wall until he’s out cold. The fourth puts up a better fight and manages to get a gun free, that’s when Skye intervenes and ends his life a little slower than normal. 

After checking to make sure the other is alright Ward grabs a gun and hands her one, the other still in his hand as they exit the barn, and are immediately met with an assault team. There’s no time for questions only violence, and they lose. The fight ends as quickly as it begins as a result of Grant being tased repeatedly and Skye getting shot in the shoulder after he hits the ground. ‘’Son a bitch’’. She complains after they drag them both back in the barn and another needle in inserted into her veins.

The last thing they hear from her before the drugs takeover is, ‘’when I get out of this I’ll kill you, I swear’’. Then she’s underwater and far away, a flashback taking over her mind to a better place, where this is not happening.

_Rough but gentle hands in her hair, warm arms resting against her body, a kiss to her forehead and the sound of ocean waves outside the open French doors, Skye keeps her eyes closed and drinks it all in. The rings on her finger, the feel of someone vowing to stay forever and put up with her, her eighteen year old self would have never imagined this were possible. Grant runs both hands down her spine before settling on the small of her back, thumbs stroking her bare skin in soothing motions._

_‘’Ward?’’_

_‘’Yes?’’_

_His voice is quiet like he’s afraid someone is going to burst through the doors of their honeymoon bungalow and ruin the moment._

_‘’Can we recite our vows now?’’_

_They got married hours ago and agreed to say their vows in a private setting so the moment could belong to them only._

_He opens his eyes and in the dim lighting of the room she sees happiness spill from them and he looks he’s going to start crying again._

_She nudges her foot in his thigh, ‘’you go first’’._

_Knowing how her mind works he nods and kisses in between her eyebrows._

_Grant doesn’t take out a piece of paper because of course he has his vows memorized._

_‘’For my entire life I’ve been alone, never thought anyone would understand me enough to put up with me, let alone love me. I didn’t think I would be capable of giving or receiving any kind of affection or kindness, my world was black and white before you came along. I loved you from the moment I first saw you, you’ve made me into a better man, a better person, shown me that despite what I’ve been through I deserve happiness. And you’ve brought me so much happiness Skye, so much color into my life’’._

_She’s already crying and the way he’s looking at her, there’s no reason a love like there’s should exist, it’s too powerful, too consuming, like it’ll set them ablaze at any moment._

_‘’I promise to always love and protect you, keep you safe, cherish you, laugh and cry with you, never leave you, travel around the world with you, go on every adventure and road trip you want. To always put you to bed whenever you drink too much, to cook for you and stay with you no matter what’’._

_Wiping her eyes Skye takes a deep breath as he assures her he’s almost done._

_‘’You have to wrap it up Ward or I’m going to have a breakdown’’._

_Holding her closer as if his body can emotionally and physically keep her together, he continues._

_‘’One day our story is going to end, I’m going to die and you’re going to die and that’ll be it, the only thing we leave behind is our legacy, the people we helped. And I want everyone to know how much I love you, if that’s the only thing this world remembers about me that’ll be enough._

_Not that I was an Avenger or that I saved the planet, I want them to know that the love I have for you has been the greatest honor of my life. You took this broken man and made him someone worth being proud of, made him realize that he was deserving of everything life has to offer._

_I want them to know that I loved you with every single part of me and if there’s any kind of life after this I will love you there too, forever. I promise’’._

_And she’s not the only one crying now, but they’re smiling and she’s kissing him messily her hands clutching his hair._

_‘’How am I supposed to top that Grant? Jesus, my vows are crap compared to that’’._

_He wipes her tears away with both thumbs, ‘’I doubt it’’._

_Stretching to the floor she digs around in her suitcase and pulls out a worn piece of paper, she rewrote her vows twelve times and finally got it right._

_Sitting up, Ward copies the movement and she looks directly into his eyes._

_‘’I love you has always been so simple to describe how I feel about you, I don’t think there’s a word in the history of the world that’s strong enough to use. Like you, I spent my life alone abandoned and unloved, and the day you walked into my life everything changed. I laughed more, felt more, you made me realize I wasn’t this terrible monster who deserved to die. You saved me from myself in so many ways, made me a better person, made me believe I was worthy of being loved’’._

_Skye takes a deep breath and places a hand on his knee, Ward is smiling brightly, eyes crinkling at the corners and she matches his expression._

_‘’You’re my best friend, the best person I know, when every day ends you’re the one I want to tell how it went, the one I want to fall asleep next to, wake up with, eat breakfast with, I never want to live without you. I promise to make you laugh every day, to protect and take care of you, cherish you, hold you on both good and bad days, to always be there whenever you need me. I love you and I’ll always love you, forever’’._

_Placing the paper on the nightstand Skye makes a grab for Ward just as he pulls her into his lap and kisses her, hands tangling in her hair as she clutches his shoulders. There’s a peacefulness that comes with being secure in the one you love, and she’s feeling it course through her veins right now. Ward is always going to be there every step of the way, every long night and heartbreak, whatever they face, they’ll do it together._

_‘’Your vows were so much better than mine’’._

_Grant laughs as they lie side by side in bed, her draped across his chest._

_‘’It’s not a contest’’._

_Kissing the space over his heart she sighs, ‘’I love you so much’’._

_‘’I love you too’’._

_That’s all they are ever going to need._

Skye’s eyes flutter open and the gunshot wound has nothing to do with why she’s light headed and teary eyed, the love she feels for Ward so overwhelming, so consuming like it’s a physical thing burying itself inside her chest. Damn these flashbacks, daydreams, whatever the hell the are, she wonders if Ward can love her in that other life, does that mean he can do it here as well? Does she want that? Is that what’s happening now?

Rocky movement like she’s in a car has her fully alert and opening both eyes, finds Ward sitting across from her in a bloody bruised state but still alive. Skye feels weak and drained, tired, eyes and limbs heavy, it’s a struggle not to fall back and sleep. They’re in what appears to be an armed van, still cuffed, four guards sit on the bench opposite of them with helmets on, guns and knives at their sides. The bullet in her shoulder wasn’t taken out or patched up which means if she doesn’t get medical attention soon, she’ll bleed out.

‘’Gunshot to the shoulder, not how I thought I was going to go’’.

Her voice is low and out of breath, can feel the blood trickling down her arm.

‘’You’re not going to die’’.

‘’Unless you have some grand escape plan Batman, we’re screwed’’.

Ward doesn’t mention she could use her powers and get them out of here, but Skye can’t even lift her arms at the moment.

‘’Batman, that’s a new one’’.

‘’Now is not the time to be cute Ward’’.

‘’Relax’’.

‘’Oh my god you did not tell me to relax when I’m literally bleeding everywhere’’.

‘’Trust me’’.

One of the guards tells them to shut up and Skye has just enough energy to flick him off.

Ward switches the conversation to Russian and explains that he has a plan and everything is going to be fine, to just hang on.

‘’I hate you so much right now’’.

‘’Noted’’.

Ward’s infamous plan makes its presence known just a few minutes later, Skye is counting how many stops they take, what she hears, how long they stay on the highway and how many turns they make when one of the assholes in a mask raises his gun and shoots his three companions and the driver. Quake watches as the person takes off their mask, he’s bald and only has eyes for Ward.

‘’You look like shit, our best friend do that to you?’’

He has an English accent and doesn’t cower back when Ward growls, ‘’watch it’’.

‘’Someone is in a mood’’.

‘’Get her out of those cuffs, she’s been shot so we need to put pressure on her shoulder’’.

The stranger heads over to Ward first who kicks him in her direction, ‘’you’re really thanking me for saving your life by kicking me? Such a dick’’.

‘’I’ll thank you when you help her’’.

‘’No you won’t’’.

The stranger goes to unlock her shackles as Skye asks, ‘’who the hell are you?’’

‘’An old friend of Ward’s’’.

‘’Ward doesn’t have any friends’’.

He laughs as the metal leaves her ankles then her wrists, ‘’he really doesn’t, you can thank the childhood trauma for that’’.

The van flickers back and forth into view as Skye feels herself start to drift the vehicle makes a sharp right turn and then warm familiar hands are on her face.

‘’I need you to stay awake Skye’’.

‘’Holy shit Grant that’s Skye? That’s the girl you’’-

‘’Kebo shut up’’.

‘’I still haven’t heard a thank you yet’’.

‘’Thank me by taking care of the driver and getting us out of here’’.

‘’Roger roger’’.

Ward takes off his jacket and applies pressure to her wound with it, ‘’hang on, I’m going to get you out of here’’.

‘’We’re outnumbered’’.

‘’I’m not worried about that’’.

‘’You probably should be’’.

Kebo calls from the front seat and Skye doesn’t have the energy to ask the history there.

Ward even though battered and injured still looks gorgeous with blood on his face, it’s really not fair.

‘’How’d he know where to find us?’’

‘’I put a tracker in Ward’s watch the other day’’.

Kebo answers and follows up with, ‘’surprised he didn’t find it already’’.

‘’You what?’’

‘’Oh unclench Grant and just be grateful’’.

‘’We’re talking about boundaries later’’.

‘’Are you sure I’m the one with the boundary issue and not your other half?’’

Skye’s confusion is amplified even further when Ward hisses, ‘’knock it off’’.

‘’Fine’’.

‘’Head for the nearest hospital’’.

‘’No’’.

Ward’s hands on her face tighten, ‘’Skye you need medical attention’’.

‘’I’m aware, go to Stark Tower instead’’.

Kebo turns to look at her, ‘’are you aware where are? Far away from New York’’.

‘’Oh my god I’m going to die next to the biggest idiots in the world’’.

‘’Rude’’.

‘’You’re not going to die’’.

The van shudders then stops once, before anyone can question it something slams hard into Ward’s side of the vehicle and he sways.

‘’So if anyone was wondering if your kidnappers were going to find out about the rescue, they did’’.

Quake sits up as Ward grabs a gun, ‘’we can take care of it’’.

‘’Just cover me’’.

She kicks the doors open just as gunfire closes in on them, hitting the van and the seat where Ward just was.

He covers her body with his own and fires back.

Here’s the thing about Grant Ward, he’s too selfless and too quick to play the hero. Always ready to jump head first into danger to protect someone else, doesn’t care who the enemy is as long as he gets out alive and protects whoever is with him, the bodies don’t matter. Which is why the corpses start piling up, but like she said earlier they’re outnumbered and it would take a miracle for them to get out of this. 

Good thing they’ve got one. 

Quake sinks into the training Nat taught her and fights through the pain, cancels out all the noise around her and breathes, taps into her powers that hum like a friend, concentrates on the buzzing vibrations all around and pushes. Feels the electricity course through her veins and she smiles, even if her body is weak and tired her powers are not, she just wishes this was an option earlier. Squinting outside it’s started to rain and Ward is suddenly ushering her out of the van.

They are on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and the remaining men have taken cover behind two of the armed vans they were driving in. He forces her and Kebo behind the nearest tree and covers their backs just as the vehicle they were in explodes, it takes care of the few lingering targets they hadn’t found shelter yet. Thunder and lightning boom across the sky and Quake looks up out of habit to see if Thor is up there, but the clouds remain black and empty.

‘’We’re not going to make it through this one Grant’’.

Ward looks offended at Kebo, ‘’you are not helping’’.

‘’I’m just saying’’-

‘’Stop talking’’.

‘’First of all don’t use that tone on me, second of all how exactly are you planning to get through like twenty people?’’

‘’Easy’’.

‘’Enlighten me please’’.

Ward gestures to himself, ‘’I can handle it’’.

‘’Oh my god, never speak to me again after that. Cocky is not a good look on you’’.

‘’Can you two shut up? I’ll take care of it’’, Quake looks over to Ward, ‘’just cover me’’.

He nods and even though she’s been drugged and shot, she still pushes through.

In between the freezing rain and blood Skye can’t see clearly, one minute she’s shooting someone who tried to grab her hair, and the next she’s on the ground being kicked in the chest. There’s a shout, a gunshot, a body falls only to be replaced by another. The fight continues and eventually Skye decides she’s going to use her powers to end it, just a flick of her wrist and it’ll all be over. 

There are enemies on either side of her so she stands in between Ward, his weird friend and the men trying to kill them and stops it. Absorbs all the vibrations in the area in between the palms of her hands, forming a ball of pure energy containing her powers, lifts her head to smirk at these idiots who really thought they’d take her down and releases her fingers. Power stretches and hurdles out of both palms, destroying everything in its wake.

The vehicles, the people, the ground and few trees all bend and break underneath the weight of her powers, leaving nothing but death and destruction once it’s finished, the air quiet. Soaking wet and shivering Skye turns around as Ward gathers her into his arms and his friend stares open mouthed at her. ‘’The legendary Quake’’, he says, and it’s the last thing she hears before she passes out.

Soft sheets underneath her bare arms, something smells like disinfectant and low voices fill the silence but she can’t make out a specific one. Cold hands touch her skin and Skye reacts without thinking, the trauma and instincts taking over as her eyes open and she pounces on the body next to hers. Twists around so they are the ones on their backs, pinned, her hand seeking out a throat to curl around, an enemy to destroy, someone to wound in the name of protecting herself.

The person underneath her doesn’t register, neither does the Shield emblem on the sweater, there’s just nothing but survival chanting in her head as she holds out her hand the body underneath her flies into a wall. A knife is in her hand before she realizes it, remembers she put one in her boot in the van earlier as another person approaches from behind. They’re met with the same violence, a blade to their throat and then a soothing familiar voice sounds from across the room.

‘’Skye it’s okay, you’re safe, it’s over, everything is okay now. It’s alright’’.

Automatically trusting Skye drops the knife and steps away as Natasha Romanoff comes into view, and Skye realizes they’re in one of the medical rooms at the Triskelion.

Nat pulls her into a hug and Skye melts into it, feeling safe once again, knows nothing will ever get past the Black Widow.

Skye pulls away first as Romanoff cups her face, ‘’how do you feel?’’

‘’Sore, where’s Ward?’’

It’s then she notices they’re not alone, after apologizing to the scientists she attacked, Skye sees that Fitzsimmons, Coulson and May are in the room as well.

‘’In the hall, he hasn’t left your side since you got here a few hours ago’’.

Quake goes to stretch but finds that her right arm is in a blue sling, aims to take it off but both Simmons and Nat threaten her so she doesn’t.

‘’We’re looking into what happened but as far as we can tell the men that attacked you were at the diner you and Agent Ward were in, paid the cooks to drug your food and then took you to a barn’’.

Coulson informs her and she looks to Nat, ‘’you find out which asshole paid them yet?’’

‘’Clint and I are working on it’’.

Fitzsimmons express their relief that she’s safe and sound back with them and then the door opens and Ward walks in.

Eyes only for her and though he tries to shut the door carefully, she can clearly see John Garrett in the hallway.

‘’What the hell is he doing here?’’

Grant lifts a tired hand in defeat, ‘’just checking to make sure we’re alright’’.

‘’If you’re alright’’.

She corrects and he doesn’t argue.

Coulson speaks up, ‘’Garrett is a good guy, I think you two got off on the wrong foot’’.

‘’I don’t’’.

‘’Skye’’.

The warning in Nat’s tone is clear so she sighs and sits down on the bed as everyone slowly starts to exit.

‘’You call Tony yet?’’

‘’He’s on his way’’.

Skye calls Simmons back when she tries to leave, ‘’am I clear to go home?’’

The other woman smiles, ‘’would you even stay if I told you no?’’

‘’Probably not’’.

‘’You should be fine then, just take the medication on the nightstand and stay off your feet for a couple weeks’’.

‘’Gross’’.

Soon it’s just Ward and Nat staring at her, she looks at her partner, ‘’where’s your friend?’’

‘’You have friends?’’

He scowls at Nat, ‘’yes, why is everyone so surprised by that?’’

‘’Because you’re an asshole’’.

‘’He’s gone, just stuck around long enough to make sure we were okay’’.

‘’He’s annoying’’.

Grant smiles, ‘’he really is’’.

Tony rushes into the room a few minutes later as Skye is swallowing a few pain pills, ‘’where’s my Quake?’’

‘’Chill Dad, I’m fine’’.

Stark hugs her for a long moment and rocks her a little, the fatherly concern never fails to make her a tad emotional. 

It isn’t until Iron Man is pulling Nat into the hug as well and Skye is thinking about the flashback from earlier, and catches the way Ward is staring at her that she realizes she might be falling in love with him.

And probably has been for a while. 

Then she’s thinking about Garrett in the hallway and has a feeling that this isn’t going to end well.


	17. There's Nothing Like A Mad Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye realizes she's in love with Ward, and protects him from an old enemy he has no memory of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning- this chapter does discuss sexual assault so I understand if you need to skip it.
> 
> I've always wanted to do a chapter where Skye is able to protect Ward from some of the things that happened in season 1, so this was great to write.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

It starts like this; you’re a sea of broken glass drifting and shifting into different pieces and places, shapes and colors, until the soul you’ve formed amongst the shattered parts of you no longer fit together. You crash into boats with mermaid figureheads and red sails who only mean you harm, you pass in between shark’s teeth and different sharp fins hoping they’ll accept you, but they spit you back out because you taste like poison and you couldn’t possibly put them above yourself. 

They don’t stay, they never do, they swim off without a word leaving the sharp edges of your skin raw and pink. You drown in waves of sorrow and self-hatred thinking no one could ever possibly accept you as you are, no one will ever hold the pointed thorns that make up your red blood cells and see you for who you really are. Until you stumble upon a stained glass mess of reds and blues, the kind you find in Catholic churches or cathedrals, and they’re just as tortured and splintered as you.

Now you’re not alone in the nightmares that haunt your black dreams, warm rough hands hold you when the hurricanes come, when salt water pours down your throat and you think you are going to drown. Those hands make you believe in things that were long since buried in your chest, makes you realize that hope isn’t a dangerous thing and that light you once saw in the back of your mind before you turned eighteen, is right there and all you have to do is reach for it. 

But those fingers that press against your shoulders are scarred too, though he doesn’t let you see the horrors of his life you know something bad happened to him once. Maybe more than once, maybe it went on for years untreated and undetected, whatever it was leaves him shaking in the middle of the night so you hold him to your chest until it passes, he never remembers in the morning.

And what started out as your skin pressed into his so you could feel something ,anything other than the trauma you once faced, ends in an explosion of light against multicolored cosmos in the galaxy that makes up him and you. You’re no longer a forgotten object adrift in the ocean fighting tsunamis in the dark and neither is he, together you banished the sharks and killer whales disguised as your inner demons and the sun finally shines into your crystal blue waters.

You can look up when you’re down below and see the sun rays breaking through the surface, warming your heart that you thought was long dead. Skye never thought anyone would ever make her feel alive again after what happened with Whitehall, the lab, and everything in between that got her to this moment. But somehow Ward did, dug his way through all her walls and barriers and made her feel human, she doesn’t feel like this irredeemable monster anymore. 

The flashbacks don’t help with her emotions especially since they’ve recently started to reveal the contents of them to one another. In another lifetime or whatever the hell it is, Skye and Ward have discovered that they were once married, had known each other for ten years and loved one another fiercely throughout all of them. While flashes from that other life certainly make her soft towards him, it doesn’t influence or blindly trick her into wanting to be with him, it’s just Ward and his eyes that draw her in. Always has. 

Skye watches him sleep now in her bed, the sheets and comforter tangled around his body, he doesn’t relax even in slumber. Shoulders are still tense, face scrunched up like he’s just waiting for someone to jump through a window to attack him, there’s a gun on the nightstand that his hand always seems to be near. Ward never stops being paranoid and she wonders if that’s from being a Specialist or if that’s how he’s always been, something from his childhood that he doesn’t talk about?

The room is dark save for a sliver of pale moonlight peeking out against the curtains, the alarm clock reads two fifteen a.m. and Skye can’t seem to fall asleep. Thoughts of the man next to her keep her mind racing because she’s just discovered a secret that makes her sweat and her hands tremble. She’s in love with him, probably has been for a while and it both terrifies and thrills her. Wondering if he feels the same or if it’s still just sex to him, are they even in a relationship?

Ward said they would take it slow and of course she respects that, but what if he said that just so he’d have time to stretch out stringing her along? Staring at the ceiling then at him she rejects that idea, if he didn’t want to be with her he wouldn’t be, wouldn’t sleep in her bed and kiss her goodnight or cook dinner in her kitchen. Grant doesn’t play games and he isn’t a deceitful person, if he didn’t want to be around her he’d say so and they’d be over. 

She’s thinking about that day at the bar where they first met, how dangerous and untouchable he appeared, when Ward suddenly twitches violently against the pillows. He hardly ever moves in his sleep so it catches her by surprise, his shoulders jerk upwards as his body twists in the sheets and his face molds into what looks like fear. Is he having a nightmare? Skye has never been a witness to what haunts his dreams, not like he has to hers. 

His chest rises and falls rapidly as he starts panting, thrashing against the mattress, sweat forms on his brow. She’s about to call his name when he whimpers and the sound is so broken, so defeated her heart aches for him, wondering what the hell he went through, what he saw that gives him dreams like these. The yelling comes a second later, he calls out the name Christian which she’s assuming is his brother, but it doesn’t sound sad, Ward sounds angry, desperate. 

Shaking his shoulder Skye sits up but his eyes don’t open, they stay screwed shut as his fingers clench against the sheets. Grant mumbles but then his sentences turn clear, he’s begging for Christian to stop something, something involving Thomas, their younger brother. Whatever it was clearly didn’t stop because Grant starts yelling for Thomas, saying he’s sorry he didn’t help him, that it was his fault and he deserves whatever punishment comes for it. 

Skye strokes his face, his chest, trying to soothe while also waking him up but nothing works, she can only sit there and wait for it to end, and wonder what kind of awful things he was subjected to as a child. The Ward family seems so perfect on the outside, your normal All American white picket fence type of people, were they really monsters behind closed doors? Grant stops yelling and before she can sigh in relief, he starts weeping. 

Loud broken sobs tear from his throat causing Skye’s own eyes to fill with tears at his pain, he’s clearly suffering over something and she wishes she knew what it was. So she can help and comfort him, and kill whoever made him react this way, whoever caused this kind of anguish. It feels like it lasts for hours and then Grant suddenly grows silent, stops making noise altogether, his breath stops causing her to panic for half a second.

With her hands against his cheeks, his eyes open and air filters back through his lungs. He grasps his bearings, slows his breathing and finally finally looks up at her. Skye wipes the sweat from his face and turns on the bedside lamp, sits cross legged beside his body but keeps her hands to herself, something telling her not to touch him now that he’s awake and responsive. She just sits there listening to him breathe, waiting to see if he wants to talk about it or not, or if he even remembers it.

Grant sits up against the headboard and runs both hands down his face, kicking off the blankets so the cool air hits his bare skin. Skye snatches the glass of water on her nightstand and holds it out, he accepts and drains half and she knows it’s because he doesn’t want to drink all of it, so she can have the rest. One shaky inhale, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose and looking out the window, Grant finally speaks, ‘’I don’t want to talk about it’’.

Skye nods, says that’s okay, asks if he needs anything and what she can do to help. But he just shakes his head, leans over to kiss her forehead and leaves the bed, heads into the bathroom, she hears the shower start. Knowing exactly what it feels like when you want to wash away the memory of the past, she leaves him be and decides to make breakfast because there’s no way either of them are going to be able to sleep now. 

Turning all the lights on in the living room and kitchen, the TV switches on as well and starts playing the latest episode of _Grey’s Anatomy_ that she uses for a mindless background, while classical music drifts through the Bluetooth speakers. Pulling up a recipe for pumpkin pancakes on a Stark tablet, Skye turns on the stove and gets to work, listening for Ward to come out of the bathroom. Half an hour later the kitchen is a mess, she’s covered in flour and pumpkin puree and Grant still hasn’t emerged.

Checking on the pancakes in the skillet she sighs when they turn up burnt, just like the last two batches that are still steaming in the trash can. Hoping pecan syrup and lots of butter will mask the flavor, she gets out two plates just as Ward appears from the bedroom. Wearing a pair of sweat pants and nothing else his skin is red in places, like he scrubbed to the point of irritation because he didn’t feel clean enough. Skye can relate to that too, and it makes her so sad. 

He takes one look at the mess and raises an eyebrow, ‘’did you make breakfast?’’

She plops the black blobs onto a plate, ‘’define breakfast’’.

Walking over he eyes the scrambled eggs that are runny and full of shells, ‘’are you trying to poison me?’’

‘’Yes’’.

A smile graces his handsome face but it doesn’t dim her concern. 

He sits down and takes the mug of coffee she hands out, this is the one thing she didn’t screw up.

‘’You’re staring’.

Skye stands on the opposite side of the kitchen island and doesn’t feed into the inside joke, ‘’are you okay?’’

The fear she saw earlier is completely gone, no shadows under his eyes, it’s like the dream never happened at all.

‘’I’m fine’’.

At the dismissive tone she can’t help but push, ‘’you don’t have to do that you know, not with me’’.

‘’Do what?’’

‘’Don’t play dumb Grant, it’s not cute’’.

He stares at her over the rim of his mug and sighs in defeat, ‘’sometimes I have nightmares, it’s not a big deal’’.

‘’I’m no stranger to those, you know that’’.

‘’You like talking about yours, I don’t’’.

‘’And I respect that, I just want to know if you’re okay’’.

He pokes at a pancake before replying, ‘’I’m better now, were these supposed to be pumpkin?’’

She throws a dish towel at him, ‘’I was trying to be nice’’.

Ward douses his plate with pecan syrup and takes a bite, pretends he likes it but she can see right through him.

‘’Oh for god sake just spit it out and make something else’’.

He washes it down with coffee and walks over to where she is, takes her in his arms.

Here is where she feels safe, where she can breathe and it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

They sway for a second and Ward inhales deeply before kissing her hair, ‘’I appreciate the gesture sweetheart’’.

He’s started calling her that recently, she loves it.

Closing her eyes and resting her cheek against his heart she says, ‘’if you ever want to talk about it I’m here, I’m not going anywhere’’.

His arms tremble just for a moment before he gets them under control, ‘’I’m happy, here with you. Never thought I would be again’’.

While the comment makes her smile and feel cherished, it doesn’t escape her notice that he never said he wasn’t going anywhere either.

Ward spends the rest of the morning working out then showering again, Skye showers separately and comes into the living room fully dressed to find him slipping on a leather jacket. In dark jeans and a white shirt he looks every inch the Shield Specialist he is. Skye puts on her own leather jacket and straps a gun to her hip, assuming they have a mission because they’d still be half dressed otherwise. She’s standing after lacing up her combat boots when Grant invades her space, his hands in her hair.

Leaning back into his touch Skye smiles when he kisses her nose, ‘’and you said you were bad at showing affection’’.

‘’I said I wasn’t used to it’’.

‘’Same difference’’.

Instead of replying he kisses her slowly, tugging at her hair as she wraps both arms around his shoulders.

‘’I’m glad you were there this morning’’.

He says against her lips, she pulls him closer.

‘’I understand what it feels like to be haunted Grant, you’ve woken me up from nightmares before’’.

Skye screams, kicks and scratches during a bad dream, before Ward, Tony was the only one who could wake her.

He’s silent for a long time, just holds her and buries his face in her neck.

‘’It was about my brother’’.

Ward says finally, quietly, like he’s apprehensive on the subject. 

‘’He used to beat the crap out of me, sometimes just because he felt like it or over something small, like if I got a bigger piece of cake or our younger sister paid more attention to me than him’’.

Sympathy and sorrow tugs at her heart, she strokes his back and wishes she could take all that childhood pain and make it disappear.

‘’And no one did anything? What about your parents?’’

‘’They were worse’’.

She closes her eyes, this poor man went through hell and no one cared until Shield found him. 

How awful that must have been, your entire childhood thinking you’re worthless and you deserve to be abused.

‘’I’m so sorry Grant I’’-

‘’I’m not asking for your sympathy, I just, I thought you should know’’.

He’s tense in her arms, muscles strained as she strokes his spine, ‘’thank you for telling me’’.

He kisses her temple before continuing, ‘’there are things about me that you wouldn’t like if you knew’’.

Skye pulls back with a shocked expression, ‘’you think I don’t have skeletons? Grant if you knew every terrible thing I’ve done you’d go running from this apartment’’.

He doesn’t even blink, ‘’no I wouldn’t’’.

She smirks just a little, ‘’so why do you think I would?’’

Cupping his face so he has to look in her eyes when she says, ‘’you have demons but so do I, I can help if you let me’’.

Those whiskey eyes swim in confusion, ‘’you’re offering to help me?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’Why?’’

‘’Because you deserve it’’.

 _Because I love you,_ is what she really wants to say, but of course it doesn’t slip past her lips. 

It’s too soon for that.

‘’I’m here if you ever want to talk, my shoulder is free’’.

He kisses her as if emotions overcame him, like words would never be enough to respond to something like that. 

Their phones vibrating breaks the moment and Ward pulls away first, sighing as he checks the screen.

‘’Hill is asking for us’’.

Catching her breath and untangling from his hold, Skye checks her own device to find it was Natasha, not Maria Hill who sent her a message.

The Black Widow is asking how she feels on account of her and Ward were both tortured a few weeks ago. They’ve since made a full recovery and the agent who hired the team to murder them has been taken care of, Skye doesn’t even have to wear the blue sling Jemma put on her anymore. Pocketing her phone Skye kisses Ward one more time before grabbing a travel mug and putting coffee in it, gets her bag and plans to sneak caramel flavored liquor in there when Ward isn’t looking. 

The command room at the Triskelion is filled with agents, Maria Hill, Alexander Pierce, Coulson, May and someone Skye hasn’t seen in years, Lady Sif of Asgard. The met briefly once and got along alright, she’s Thor’s friend and pretty powerful, though Skye could take her if she had to. Already in a mood because she spilled her alcohol in the elevator, Quake glares at Alexander Pierce as much as possible, there’s just something about the guy that she hates. 

‘’Quake glad you could finally join us, you remember Lady Sif of Asgard?’’

‘’Nice to see you again’’.

‘’You as well Quake’’.

Alexander fixes his attention on the Inhuman, ‘’Lady Sif is here because we have a problem, think you and Agent Ward can fix it?’’

‘’Why are you speaking to me?’’

Ward taps her boot with his own, a silent suggestion that her aggression is unnecessary, it’s ignored. 

‘’You know what Quake? Shield doesn’t need you, you’re here because’’-

‘’I’m here because this shithole of an organization needs powerful people to protect the earth from aliens and whatever other weird crap comes our way, since I’m the most powerful person in the world besides Thor, you assholes need me, you can’t afford to lose me’’.

‘’Your attitude’’-

‘’It’s not an attitude Alexander, it’s confidence. I’m fully aware of what I can do and what I’m capable of, you however are not, so I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you’’.

Sif grins, ‘’I’ve missed you Quake’’.

She winks in response while Ward asks what they’re dealing with and why Sif is here.

There’s a goddess named Lorelai who has escaped Asgard and come to earth, she can take control over a man’s mind and make her do whatever she wants. Reads their desires and can make them confess anything and everything, use them to do her dirty work. She can manipulate an entire army to do her bidding, Quake and Shield’s job is to subdue her so Sif can arrest her and take her back to Asgard. Apparently she’s dangerous but Skye isn’t worried, she can handle anything. 

Shield heads to the last known Lorelai sighting only to find it empty, they travel the dirt roads of the desert for a while and Skye takes a turn driving. She’s turning up the radio and one glance at Ward lets her know he’s having a flashback, he’s got that look in his eye, a private smile on his face, must be something good. He comes back to the present a few moment later and shakes his head, takes Skye’s free hand and squeezes her fingers. 

‘’You were having one’’.

He nods while she turns up the air conditioning. 

‘’What was it about?’’

‘’You were angry about something, then you slapped me’’.

‘’You probably did something stupid’’.

His thumb strokes softly over her knuckles but doesn’t say anything else, so she asks, ‘’then what happened?’’

Ward clears his throat, ‘’we fought and made up’’.

‘’Sounds about right’’.

Smiling, he kisses her cheek just as Coulson calls to inform them they’ve found Lorelai. 

‘’Never killed a goddess before’’.

‘’Our orders are to subdue Skye, not kill’’.

‘’Same thing’’.

‘’I’m sorry in what world is arresting someone the same as killing them?’’

She pokes at his knee, ‘’a fun one’’.

‘’Please be joking’’.

‘’Chill Turbo I am, mostly’’.

At the look he sends her she smirks, ‘’I won’t kill her unless I have to’’.

‘’I’ll take it’’.

‘’Also if she controls your mind she’s dead, god knows what she’d use you for’’.

The thought makes them both uncomfortable for some reason, Skye feels that familiar burn of violence in her chest like she’s supposed to avenge someone. It’s a chaos she thrives off of, feels it light her veins and as they approach a seedy bar Lorelai was spotted in, she thinks it may be an issue to keep her promise to Ward. Shield SUV’s already block off the road, there are agents positioned at the back and front doors waiting on Sif and Hill to arrive, but Skye isn’t a patient person.

‘’Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t’’.

Ward comments when they get out of the car.

‘’I have no idea what you’re talking about Robot’’.

‘’Skye’’.

‘’I’m just going to calmly walk in there and tell Lorelai she’s under arrest’’.

Ward doesn’t believe her, and she doesn’t do that at all. 

Before Hill arrives Skye walks up to the front doors and without pause, raises a hand and they fly open, crash into the room and walls, the ground below quakes violently. Stepping into the room she’s immediately met with resistance, the nearest man tries to grab her arm but she breaks his nose and slams his head into a table. Another in a leather jacket comes at her but she grabs a chair and hits him in the chest with it, all the while Lorelai looks on with her red hair before escaping out the back door.

She’s clearly in control of all the men here because they put up one hell of a fight. Skye is busy with them while Ward informs her via com that he’s going around the back, a man with a crow bar heads for her and she sighs. ‘’This bitch really brain washed a bunch of drunk hillbillies to fight for her’’. She grabs the weapon and uses it on him instead, shattering his jaw. Someone comes up behind her and attempts to grab and squeeze her frame but he crashes into the bar instead, glass breaking and bleeding. 

Other agents come in to help but there’s not much to do, Skye heads out the back door just in time, because Lorelai is standing in front of Ward who is pointing a gun at her chest. Something about this scene sparks a memory, it’s a flicker but it’s there, like this happened before and something awful occurred because of it. Was Ward hurt in another lifetime because of Lorelai? Did she kill him? 

‘’You’re a fine warrior’’.

She tells Grant, unaware that Skye is approaching from behind.

‘’I am, so put your hands behind your back and get on your knees’’.

‘’That was hot, why don’t you ever talk to me like that?’’

Skye asks, finally revealing herself and coming to stand beside Ward, slightly angling herself so she’s in front of him.

Lorelai scoffs, ‘’I have no use for you dear’’.

The goddess reaches for Ward like Skye is really going to stand aside and allow that, she holds out a hand and Lorelai flies into a cluster of motorcycles, ‘’hands off’’.

Standing now Lorelai stares wide eyed at Quake, ‘’you can’t defeat me’’.

‘’Honey, you have no idea what I can do’’.

‘’I’ll just get out of your way’’.

Ward muses and Skye sends him a wink over her shoulder. 

‘’You’re nothing but a weak human, move away from him before I make you’’.

Skye cocks her head to the side, ‘’you’re not in control here, I am, so like he said, put your hands behind your back before you piss me off’’.

‘’I am afraid of nothing and no one’’.

‘’Suit yourself’’.

Skye holds out both hands this time Lorelai’s bones crack and she screams, making Skye smile. 

Blood pools from her lips as she gasps out, ‘’who are you?’’

Quake answers but it is not her voice, her words, ‘’I’m the Destroyer of Worlds’’.

Lorelai cries out in pain one final time before passing out in the dirt, Skye drops her hands and looks over to Ward, ‘’you okay?’’

He throws her a puzzled look, ‘’I’m fine, you did all the work’’.

A teasing sigh leaves her, ‘’don’t I always?’’

That gets a pause and an eyebrow raise, ‘’if you think’’-

‘’Relax babe I was kidding’’.

Skye heads over to Lorelai’s body to put the device Sif gave her so the goddess’ mouth remains shut, when the woman twitches before tackling Skye in a quick move she was not prepared for. She manages to get a punch to the face before a bullet strikes her in the shoulder courtesy of Ward, using the momentary distraction to her advantage, Quake bucks her off and stands over her bleeding body, ‘’nice try’’. Then kicks her in the face and uses an ICER to make sure she’s out cold this time.

It isn’t until after they’ve arrested her and are back at the Triskelion that it suddenly occurs to Skye in a painful flashback of colors and tears. Her Ward standing next to her disappears, the building as well, the agents with Sif in the lead carting Lorelai off to a secure location, it all fades leaving Skye in a rage she hasn’t felt since John Garrett and Whitehall. 

She sees a slightly older Grant Ward in what looks like a containment module, he looks so sad, so heart broken and disgusted with himself Skye can’t stand it. There are harsh bags under his eyes and his hands are shaking, Skye seems herself sit next to him with her hand on the back of his neck as he takes deep slow breaths, his shoulders hunched. 

_‘’There was a woman, a goddess actually a few years ago from Asgard. Shield got word that she could control your mind, just men actually, women were immune’’._

Skye then and now listens with rapt attention both their hearts breaking at what he reveals, and fresh hot anger pours like lava into their bones. Lorelai assaulted him and instead of someone taking care of him or acknowledging it, he was blamed for it and then it was forgotten and he never actually dealt with it until years later. Everyone acted like it was normal and fine and not rape, he had no control over his own mind, he couldn’t say no, why was that never taken into account or thought of?

Skye comes back to the present with a hand to her shoulder, but she’s too far gone for anyone to stop now. Now there’s nothing but this white iron need to make Lorelai bleed, to make her pay for what she did to Grant in another life because it didn’t happen there, but it most certainly can here. The Triskelion trembles violently, light bulbs flicker before shattering in thousands of sparks, windows break, the floors crack, she shakes with the need for vengeance raging in her bloodstream.

Revenge is an intimate game she’s very familiar with, she thrives off it, punishing someone who has done her or someone she cares about wrong. Skye loves the thrill and high of it all and she never misses a target, no one ever gets away from the wrath she breathes. Which is why Ward can’t calm her down, why the several Shield agents nearby are met with her powers when they try to stop her, all Skye can see now is red, it drowns out everything else and swallows her whole. 

Nothing else exists beyond focusing on Lorelai whom she finally reaches and throws the people holding her out of the way. The goddess seems surprised but the lock around her head prevents Skye from knowing exactly that, though it doesn’t really matter. In one swift move Skye has the other woman on her knees and punches her in the face, shattering the metal mask around her mouth. Instead of a scowl a cocky smile appears on her lips, ‘’you’re nothing but a child, you can’t win’’.

Skye knees her in the face this time, ‘’that was for trying to brain wash my boyfriend’’. People try to break it up but Quake flicks them away, this is her fight, and no one is going to stop her from getting what she wants. Lorelai is a warrior in her own right but she doesn’t hold a candle to Skye, they go back and forth exchanging bone shattering blows and throwing each other into walls and broken windows. Bored of using her fists and wanting to feel it in her palms, Skye starts using her powers.

Lorelai is on the ground screaming as Skye crouches slightly in front of her both hands held out towards her chest, Ward’s face in her mind in that containment module, how broken he seemed. And soon it’s not enough, Skye aims for her face with her fists, her powers on the back burner for now, and repeatedly punches the goddess in the face until her knuckles are split open and shoulders are sore. A struggle breaks out as Lorelai switches their positions and Skye is on her back dodging blows to the face.

With a flick of her wrist she goes flying into the ceiling before crashing back down, and Skye takes one second to grab Sif’s sword from her belt. Nat trained her with the weapon but she’s never actually fought with one before, shouldn’t be too hard.

Lorelai grins her mouth full of blood as well as her face, ‘’you know how to use that little girl?’’ 

Quake holds it out in front of her, ‘’won’t take much to kill you’’.

It ends like this; Lorelai missteps and it’s the mistake Skye uses to get the upper hand. In a move that costs Lorelai her life, Skye sweeps her legs out so she’s in a kneeling position and Skye is standing over her sword out and ready. There are no words spoken, no crass comments or funny remarks, this is revenge for hurting someone she loves, and Lorelai can’t go on living after that. The sharp end of the sword meets Lorelai’s neck and after a few swings and a river of blood, she’s dead.

The metallic warmth on Skye’s face doesn’t register, only the feel of adrenaline and that she did something so right is present as the rage cools in her chest. The world comes back in a blur of people screaming, guns pointed at her, Nick Fury and Maria Hill telling her to put the sword down, and Grant, Grant staring at the mess she made unfazed, he’s not upset or angry, and the look in his eyes seems relieved, like he knows why she did it and he’s grateful. 

Having taken care of one threat Skye weighs the possibility of Shield being another right now, she drops the sword and is about to tell Fury to calm down, when a shot goes off and Ward of course leaps in front of her. But with a flick of her fingers it’s brushed aside and heads back for the man who shot at her as Fury yells for everyone to stand down, but it’s too late. The nearest agents make a grab for her but they’re all met with violence and that desire to always be up for a fight.

Skye and Ward share a look, not needing words to communicate and she knows right now he’ll defend her. May regret it later because after all he’s Shield’s best robot, but right now he’s on her side, her partner. And Skye doesn’t regret her choice, she’d kill Lorelai all over again if it meant Ward was unharmed and not traumatized by what she did to him once. Skye is fully prepared to fight every single agent in this building, but she doesn’t see Agent May come up behind her with an ICER.

A sly comment at Fury’s shitty leadership skills is on the tip of her tongue, when May takes the shot and the world goes dark. Ward catches her before she falls, but she’s already out cold and can’t feel his arms around her.

Skye wakes to the feel of her skin being cold and a throbbing head. Taking in her surroundings it’s clear she’s on a bed and wherever she is, she’s not alone. Both her powers and ears alert her someone is nearby, their breathing loud in this so quiet moment. Figuring it’s Shield holding her in containment module she opens her eyes to find she was right, the walls are white and so is the bed, there’s an agent she doesn’t recognize by the door. 

Annoyed because she wants him to be Ward, or better yet Natasha, and Fury must have known this would irritate her which is why he did it. Sitting up carefully because her head is spinning, she looks at the strange man and cracks her sore knuckles. 

‘’So how’s your day going?’’

No answer, he doesn’t even look at her.

‘’Can I get some ice for my hands or am I being punished?’’

Again, he doesn’t even acknowledge her presence. 

Skye gets off the bed, now he looks at her and she grins, ‘’you know I don’t mind being punished for my actions but not like this’’.

A blush slowly creeps along his cheeks and Skye knows without even glancing at the two-way mirror to her left, that Ward is on the other side pinching the bridge of his nose.

Skye takes off her jacket, ‘’so did Fury really put you in here to watch me as if you could handle me, or are you the one being punished for something?’’

His hand twitches to the gun on his holster, ‘’don’t even try it Quake’’.

She huffs out a laugh, ‘’and who do you think you are to give me orders?’’

‘’I think I’m the person who will take you down if you do anything’’.

This time she giggles and feels dried blood all over her face, they could have at least wiped it off for her, Simmons would have if she were present.

‘’Honey you couldn’t even handle me on my worst day, it’s cute that Fury thought you could try though’’.

Before he can blink and because Skye is feeling particularly dramatic today, she grabs the metal table off to the side and hurls it at the mirror, of course it doesn’t shatter or crack but that was the point. The door opens which was her intention and the young agent is kicked through the doorway, her boot landing harshly against his chest. Not wasting any time as another agent is in the hall just waiting for this moment, Skye rams his head into the wall, does the same with the woman behind him.

She dispatches eight more agents until Nick Fury finally makes himself known, seeming so annoyed at this entire situation as they face off down the hallway. 

‘’Are you done or could you go another round?’’

Skye shrugs, ‘’depends on your plan’’.

‘’Don’t really have one Quake, just making this up as I go along, you’re the one who went rogue and killed a prisoner’’.

‘’Okay went rouge is a lose term, remember that I don’t work for you’’.

He crosses his arms, ‘’so you escaped the containment module, what’s next?’’

She feels for anyone else behind him and senses three bodies, ‘’I could kill you and the rest of them you know’’.

‘’I’m aware’’.

They both glance down to the bodies at her feet, ‘’get out of my way Nick’’.

‘’I’m thinking about suspending you know by the way, Pierce supports me’’.

‘’I don’t give a shit what Alexander Pierce thinks, Shield needs me and you know it’’.

‘’It’s true but I think you need us more, so choose your next actions very carefully Quake’’.

‘’Don’t talk to me like I’m a child’’.

‘’Then don’t act like one’’.

A person comes up behind her and Skye spins around, takes them out with Nat’s signature move. 

When she turns back around Fury has a gun in his hand and Ward and May are flanking him.

Brock Rumlow also appears with a sick grin on his face as he heads for her next.

‘’Nothing personal Quake’’.

She rolls her eyes, ‘’I feel like it is personal for you’’.

He walks up and immediately tries to punch her in the face which she dodges and he says, ‘’okay it might be a little personal’’.

‘’Told you’’.

She aims a kick for his ribs and hits her mark, he’s out of breath when he says, ‘’so you and Agent Ward huh?’’

‘’Oh my god now is not the time for that’’.

He throws all his weight into pushing her into a wall, ‘’you broke up with me for Agent Toolbag, really?’’

She breaks his hold and elbows him in the neck, ‘’first of all we were never and it’s none of your business’’.

While he’s down and winded she kicks him in the face and he makes a grab for her legs, tackling her and putting her in a headlock.

She can tell Ward is about to step in, her air supply dwindling and for some reason she can’t get her footing to get out of this hold, when a voice sounds from behind Fury, Ward and May. 

‘’Let go of my girl Agent Rumlow before I do it for you’’.

The Black Widow comes into view as the agents part the way for her, and Rumlow immediately releases her.

Coughing she accepts the hand Romanoff holds out and finds she’s not alone, Steve Rogers is also present and throws a glare Fury’s way.

‘’You alright?’’

Nat cups her face and frowns at the blood there, the state of her hands.

She then turns to Rumlow and punches him in the face, knocking him unconscious. 

‘’What’s going on here?’’

Steve demands as he steps in front of Skye like he’s trying to protect her.

‘’You want the short version or the long one?’’

Fury asks and Nat says, ‘’I want to hear it from Skye, let’s go’’.

Taking her hand Skye follows Nat out, not glancing at Ward because what happened to him is still so fresh in her mind.

They’re leaving the hall when she hears Steve threaten, ‘’if you ever lock her up again you’re going to regret it’’.

Three hours later after showering, icing her knuckles and having all of the Avengers hover and fuss over her, Skye is in bed with a glass of bourbon while her family is in the living room. They’re staying the night to make sure she’s alright, Tony and Nat have been yelling at Fury both in person and over the phone for hours. Skye’s own phone is on the coffee table so if Ward or Simmons called her she won’t know, bets he’s going to show up sooner or later and demand answers, which she’s avoiding. 

How do you tell the person you loved they were raped in another lifetime and they clearly don’t remember it? The conversation comes sooner than she’s expecting, she’s on her third glass of bourbon when Tony knocks on the door as says Ward is here, asks if she wants to see him. One nod later and he’s in her bedroom, the same one they were in this morning which seems like so long ago. Grant doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t seem afraid even though she decapitated a person in front of him.

He just sits on the mattress with a calm expression on his dumb face, patient understanding in his eyes that sets her on edge for some reason, she finally figures out why. She doesn’t want to tell him a version of himself was assaulted, what if it triggers the memory of it? Seeing she’s not ready to talk Grant slips off his shoes like he does every night, along with his jeans but keeps the white shirt on. Climbs into bed but keeps a distance between their bodies, sitting up against the headboard and watches TV with her.

Like this is any other normal day, Skye doesn’t even know what show is playing, the sound is muted the image blurry. Ward opens a beer she didn’t see him bring in and takes a long sip while she refills her glass. 

They’re quiet for so long she could fall asleep if the lights were off when Ward asks, ‘’why’d you do it?’’ 

There’s nothing in his voice to reveal if he knows or not, tone is soft, almost a whisper.

Skye downs the alcohol so fast it burns on the way down as she settles with the respectful truth, ‘’she hurt you in our alternate timeline’’.

‘’Oh’’.

Something tells her he’s not used to people defending him, probably a result from the shitty childhood.

‘’She just couldn’t live after that’’.

Grant’s warm hand brushes against her own and she clutches it tightly, they’re still looking at the television screen.

‘’What did she do?’’

At her panicked silence Ward stares at the side of her face and says, ‘’you can tell me, I can take it’’.

‘’Are you sure? It’s really bad’’.

His fingers lightly touch her chin so he can direct her face to his, ‘’please tell me’’.

‘’I, are you sure? I don’t think it’s a good idea’’.

‘’I deserve to know, it was me she did something to even if I don’t remember it. Did she force me to hurt someone, kill someone?’’

Skye tries not to let tears fill her eyes but they do anyway and Ward’s shocked expression makes it worse, she places her free hand against his heart.

‘’Grant if I tell you, it could hurt you and I don’t want that’’.

He’s probably not used to anyone sparing his feelings either.

‘’Tell me, I’ll be fine’’.

Taking a deep breath as they still hold hands and her fingers are on his chest, she says, ‘’Ward you told me she raped you’’.

When he doesn’t panic or inhale sharply in pain or cry, Skye prays he doesn’t remember anything about the attack.

Instead sympathy lights those whiskey eyes for his other half, ‘’you remembered after we arrested her’’.

‘’I couldn’t let her live after that, and she wasn’t going to hurt you here too’’.

His thumb strokes her chin lightly, ‘’wish you could have been there for the other me’’.

‘’Me too, I’m so sorry Ward’’.

‘’I feel like I should remember something about her, besides a little discomfort there’s nothing’’.

‘’Maybe that’s a good thing’’.

‘’You’re probably right’’.

Kissing her forehead he leans back and pulls her into his arms, Skye drapes herself over his body and closes her eyes.

‘’Skye I don’t need you to protect me you know’’.

The response comes so quickly, so honestly that they both know it’s true, ‘’I think you do and you don’t even realize it’’.

That’s the foundation of their relationship she realizes, Skye would do and probably has done anything to protect him, in both this life and others.

They’ll soon realize that Skye would burn down her entire life in order to keep him safe, and even risk her own heart so he can live. It’s only a matter of time.


	18. My Heart's Been Borrowed & Yours Has Been Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrett pays Ward a visit, and Skye and Ward have soft moments in Paris that they'll regret later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved this one, buckle up because the next few chapter are going to be nothing but pain and angst.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

Hands on his shoulders nails biting into bare skin, sweat slicked chests and his fingers digging into her hips, lips tracing her collar bone, her teeth against his neck. The room is pitch black and warm even with the window cracked, Ward can’t feel the winter breeze brush his cheeks, all he sees all he knows is Skye. Skye above him her knees straddling his hips, he brushes her hair back because with every rocky movement it keeps getting in her face. 

She smiles and kisses his wrist, those brown eyes he’d happily drown in widen and then close as he slides his hands lower down her waist. Removing one hand and cupping the back of her neck Ward pulls her down for a kiss, losing himself in the moment, in her, nothing else matters but her sighs against his mouth and his hands pulling her hair. Her fingernails mark his skin she could draw blood and he wouldn’t care, in this moment and in all of them let’s be honest, Ward is irrevocably hers.

They fall apart, shatter against one another , her face pressed into his neck and Grant swears all he needs to live is right here in his arms. It takes several moments to come back down to earth, to catch their breath and feel the mattress underneath their bodies, the ice air from the open window. Opening his eyes Ward kisses the top of Skye’s head as she lies atop his chest, her palms pressed against his abdomen and his arms wrapped around her.

He feels her lips trace the skin over his heart as she lifts her head to smile up, he kisses her and they drift off holding one another, Ward’s mind and body is filled with nothing but Skye as he sleeps, no bad dreams seep into his brain to ruin anything. He wakes sometime later and grabs them both water bottles, he sets Skye’s on the nightstand and walks back into the living room to double check the doors and windows are secure, even though he did this earlier he just wants to be sure. 

As he’s checking the security system around his apartment complex is occurs to Ward, not for the first time, that all of this is going to end. His cover with Shield, his time with Skye, it’s all a false front that will be revealed and when it is this small sliver of fake happiness he’s found will wilt and break before disappearing altogether. 

See in his long years Ward has learned that nothing lasts forever, moments are just collections of dust on a dresser waiting to be wiped away. He’s an expert on fleeting minutes and stolen hours, he’s no stranger to living on borrowed time. Because when he thinks about it when he can’t sleep at night, nothing in his life has ever truly belonged to him, the seconds and hands on the clocks of his life were owned by his family first, and now John Garrett, Shield.

Owing John everything has never bothered Ward, he’d give up his own soul if it meant John could live, the only father figure he’s ever known can have every single precious second of Ward’s time if he wished. That’s what it has always been about, the only thing he’s known since he was fifteen years old; John has to live, he has to survive no matter the cost. Grant has done things he’s not proud of to guarantee that, to will that into existence he’s shed blood, broken bones, killed.

Earned his one way ticket to hell to make sure at the end of all things Garrett is breathing with a solid heart beat in his chest, it’s what Ward lives for. That’s why he joined Shield, even though he knew when he signed up his time would end one day, that he’d have to do terrible things in order to earn trust, to make sure John didn’t die. Garrett warned him it wouldn’t be easy and while the awful things he’s done don’t keep him up at night, something else does.

Something besides John and his brother, something he didn’t see coming, an unknown variable with brown eyes and a smile that makes his knees weak. It’s having her in his arms when he falls asleep and wakes up, it’s showering with someone who makes him laugh and cooking dinner for two while they slow dance in the kitchen. Grant has learned to care for someone other than Garrett which was never supposed to happen, it’s so dangerous he can’t even believe he allowed it.

Somehow Skye has successfully woven her way into his skin and bones, cracked open his heart that has never belonged to anyone and made it her home. Every cell in his body doesn’t care, let’s her have it and anything else she wants, Skye could kill him and he’d probably let her under the right circumstances, and he doesn’t need Garrett to tell him how stupid that is. How the plan was to blind Quake and seduce her into looking into looking for a cure, not fall in love with her.

That’s another problem; Ward has never been in love before, has nothing to compare to what he feels for Skye to anything else, he doesn’t even know how it happened. All he knows is that he woke up one day to her asleep on his chest and never wanted to lose her, never wants to live without her, that his world would shatter and burst into flames if they were to part. Skye has become everything to him in a short amount of time, he’d die for her if the situation called for it.

Which of course wasn’t part of the plan John presented him with, but it’s too late now. Ward is too far gone, unless death decides to drag him away, he won’t leave Skye, can’t even imagine it. But she could leave him, and probably will if Hydra comes out of the shadows soon like Garrett thinks they will. That has him staring up at the ceiling at night, realizing that all the time he’s stolen and all the lies he’s told will add up and she’ll slip right through his fingers like sand that he couldn’t possibly catch.

She’ll just become another ghost that hates and curses his existence, like his parents and brother, like John would if they don’t get a cure for him soon. Grant has been trained to work in high pressured situations, he can handle anything life throws at him, so even though the panic of John getting closer to death every day, juggling that plus everything else the pressure is breathing down his neck, he’s not fazed. Puts it all in a box and breathes, he can do this, John needs him to do this.

Skye refuses to go in a box, fights every step of the way and when he tries to seal the cardboard up with duct tape she rips right through it and holds him while he sleeps. He’s never met anyone like her and probably never will again, somewhere in the back of his brain that he ignores, tells him there’s no way she’ll stay after everything, that all he’ll have in the end is John. Isn’t that how it should be though? Isn’t that what he wants? Wasn’t that always the plan?

A few months ago Ward would have agreed without a doubt, but now there are seeds planted that both he and Skye have watered and he’s not sure he wants to be alone with Garrett anymore. If he’s being completely honest with himself, Ward would rather be with Skye at the end of all things, find somewhere away from the world and pretend like nothing else exists. A house in the middle of nowhere perhaps with a red front door where they sleep in and drink tea while the sun rises.

It’s not a total fantasy from his deluded brain, he’s seen that house before in the other life they’ve lived, they were happy there, free and in love with matching wedding rings and smiles. He wants that, everything inside him is craving that kind of happiness, the only problem is Garrett wasn’t there and Ward isn’t sure if that’s a bad or good thing anymore. All he knows is that he’s in love with Skye there and here and nothing is going to change that.

Even though she couldn’t possibly feel the same way about him, she doesn’t even know who he is, the real him anyway, the things he’s said and done, how he’s a wolf dressed as a sheep and would rip out anyone’s throat if John told him to. Though the one thing he’d never do, not even if Garrett ordered him to, is hurt Skye, he’d cut out his own heart before that ever happened, which is ironic all things considered.

Once she finds out who he really is she’ll never forgive him, never love him, just like all the others. There’s a small whisper in the back of his mind that says someday she’ll understand, but it’s ignored because that’s impossible. Anyone who has ever glimpsed at the person underneath Ward’s skin has abandoned him, excluding John and Kebo, there’s no way Skye will feel the same way they do. Never mind the things she’s done that he could relate to, he’s far worse and doesn’t deserve her.

Trying not to let the negative thoughts eat him alive he pauses in the kitchen and takes a deep breath, thinks about what happened the other day with Skye and Lorelai and how he doesn’t remember a thing regarding the woman who hurt him in that past life. Skye was put in a containment module as a result of killing her though Ward believes it was justified even though Shield does not.

That image of Skye covered in blood swinging a sword at a goddess for him will be forever burned into his eyelids, she was like some dark avenging angel hell bent on destroying anyone who ever harmed him. If it all possible it made him love her even more and this game he’s playing is oh so dangerous, everything is now currently balancing on the edge of a knife and if he makes one wrong move it could all come tumbling down.

Clearing his mind and thinking of an excuse to go back to Skye’s apartment instead of being at his, he’s about to walk back into the bedroom when Skye steps out. Her feet bare, wearing his gray cotton shirt and an blurry image appears behind his eyelids of this exact same situation, except it’s in a different living room and they’re both older. It’s gone as quickly as it appeared and Skye walks around him and heads to the freezer, grabs the carton of ice cream Kebo left behind on his last visit. 

Grant watches as she hops on the kitchen counter and swings her legs, gets a spoon and attempts to get the ice cream out. He pops it in the microwave for a few seconds and as he’s getting it out Skye wraps her legs around his hips, kissing him as he sets the carton down at her elbow. 

‘’Your apartment is lame’’.

She says, getting a spoonful of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and offering it to him.

Shaking his head Ward replies, ‘’no it’s not’’.

‘’You have nothing in here but clothes and canned food, no photos or personal touches at all’’.

‘’I’m hardly ever here, this is the first time in years that I’ve stayed in one place for long’’.

He doesn’t realize how true the statement is until he says it.

Ward’s life at Shield has been nothing but blood stained hands and empty hotel rooms.

Skye frowns, takes her free hand to cup his cheek, ‘’that sounds lonely’’.

‘’That’s the life of a Specialist’’.

‘’Do you actually enjoy it?’’

No one has ever asked him this before and it throws Grant off for a second. 

His feelings towards this job have never been taken into consideration before because they’ve never mattered, all that has ever been important is John.

‘’I don’t, I don’t know. I think so’’.

‘’Oh god did I break you? Do I need to reroute the wires in your brain?’’

Smiling he kisses her forehead, ‘’I’m fine, being alone is part of the job’’.

‘’It doesn’t have to be, you don’t have to be a Specialist’’.

Honesty tumbles past his lips again, ‘’yes I do’’.

Seeing the conversation is moot Skye holds out her spoon again and tightens her legs around his waist, ‘’will you explode if you eat this?’’

‘’No’’.

On occasion Grant enjoys sweets, but Agent Ward does not.

She waves the spoon over his mouth, ‘’humor me, just one bite’’.

Smirking and lowering the spoon suddenly Skye says, ‘’I can think of a better way to eat this’’.

The cold spoon lands in the center of chest, the ice cream smeared across his skin as she drags it down. 

Hands on her thighs Skye leans down her mouth tracing the mess she made, his fingers are slipping up her shirt when the front door of his apartment suddenly swings open.

At first Grant doesn’t react because there are only two people who have a key and them stopping by unannounced is normal, but then he remembers that Skye is half naked sitting on his countertop and if it’s Garrett, he doesn’t want them anywhere near each other. Because life has decided he needs drama at five fifteen in the morning, John walks through the door, assesses the scene before him and grins at what he clearly interrupted. 

‘’Well good morning kid, Quake’’.

Grant steps in front of Skye who now has two feet on the floor, hands clenched at her side.

Keeping up appearances Ward asks, ‘’is everything okay Agent Garrett? Didn’t know you were in town’’.

‘’Actually no it’s not, I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you’’.

It’s a clear dismissal for Skye, and she reacts accordingly.

‘’We were in the middle of something, you can come back later’’.

‘’Darling I’m fully aware of what you were in the middle of and I’m pretty sure your libido can wait’’.

‘’John’’.

Ward’s sharp tone surprises them both and judging by the look in Garrett’s eyes, he’s going to pay for it. 

Sweat forms on the back of his neck and he takes a slow controlled breath, keeping his cover and trying to protect Skye at the same time.

He turns to her and says quietly, ‘’Agent Garrett never does this it must be something important, why don’t you go home and I’ll catch up later?’’

Skye searches his face before looking between him and John, who is enjoying every moment of this. 

‘’Or considering the fact that I’m the one you’re currently screwing, you could kick out your old S.O. instead’’.

‘’Listen sweetheart’’-

Skye leans around Ward and spits, ‘’talk to me one more time and I will rip your heart out’’.

Knowing it’s not an empty threat Grant angles his body so he’s between the woman who holds his soul in his hands, and the man who saved his life.

Turning on the charm and giving the smoldering look that usually convinces anyone to do anything, Grant whispers, ‘’please, I’ll call you as soon as I can’’.

Desperation is also present because the last thing he wants is Skye and Garrett in a room together again.

Skye sighs deeply but mutters, ‘’fine’’.

With one glare at Garrett she heads into the bedroom, gets dressed and is on her way out the door a few seconds later. 

With a look that would make lesser men cower, Skye says to Ward on her way out, ‘’don’t expect to get laid again any time soon’’.

She slams the door leaving Garrett laughing and Grant unsettled.

While John rummages around for food and makes a fresh pot of coffee Ward cleans up and starts missing Skye, wondering if he made the right choice in forcing her to leave. But then he remembers this is John and no one ever comes before him, not even Skye. Getting back into that head space he puts on a shirt, gets a cup of coffee and leans against the kitchen counter to wait for John to reveal while he’s here. It doesn’t take long.

Garrett stands by the opposite counter and looks around before whistling, ‘’Quake attached to you quick’’.

‘’All part of the plan sir’’.

‘’Is it?’’

Nerves light up his blood, ‘’of course, she’ll never suspect a thing. Skye needed someone to swoop in and think they were saving her from herself, I’ve done that’’.

It’s the truth but every single word burns on the way out.

‘’And when she finds out who you really are will she want revenge?’’

Ward has to think about this and comes to the same conclusion he did when this first started, ‘’yes, but I can handle it’’.

‘’Can you?’’

‘’Yes, is something wrong John?’’

His former mentor waves the question off, ‘’of course not just checking on you’’.

See Garrett knows better than to lie to Ward, for one he can read right through it, and two, in order to make their relationship work there are no secrets or lies, ever. 

In the game they’ve been playing all these years it wouldn’t work without complete honesty.

Which is why Ward knows there’s more to this drop by than meets the eye.

‘’Quake recover from the barn incident alright?’’

‘’Yes sir’’.

‘’Good, can’t have our favorite girl out of commission for long. Did she ever tell you why she killed Lorelai? Heard she caused quite a shit show at the Triskelion’’.

‘’No, I think she was just having a bad day and snapped’’.

Lying comes naturally to Ward which is why Garrett doesn’t bat an eye, but Grant can easily justify this, if John knew the real reason why Skye did what she did and how they were married in an alternate timeline, she could be in danger and Garrett would think he was crazy.

John laughs, ‘’you really know how to pick them son, I’ll give you that’’.

‘’Well if the job was easy’’.

‘’It wouldn’t be any fun’’.

He smiles and Ward relaxes just a little, perhaps he’ll let his earlier slip up slide.

‘’Speaking of the job, you’re still good with it?’’

‘’Of course I am, is there a problem with my work?’’

‘’Should there be? You’re not forgetting the plan are you?’’

‘’No sir’’.

‘’Because I’d understand, Skye is a pretty girl, it’d be easy to fall for her’’.

‘’I haven’t forgotten what’s at stake here John’’.

‘’Good just making sure’’.

They’re quiet for a long moment and Ward tenses up, feels as if he’s walking on very thin ice that’s about to break.

He falls right on through into freezing cold water when John asks, ‘’they never found her blood and spinal fluid did they?’’

The Shield agent that hired the team to abduct Skye and Ward took her DNA and the Avengers haven’t been able to locate the samples since.

Confusion clouds Ward’s brain at the question, ‘’no’’.

‘’Good make sure it stays that way, wouldn’t want Tony Stark on my ass’’.

The fog lifts and rage replaces it, lights up everything inside of Grant so fast and strong he nearly stops breathing, because he has a feeling he knows why Skye was tortured in that barn.

Which is why he asks, ‘’what did you do John?’’

Garrett’s voice turns colder than the chill outside, ‘’what you should have done the second you got that bitch to spread her legs for you, her blood could be the key to saving my life’’.

Ward feels like he just stepped off a cliff without any way to save himself, like he left Skye out on the rocks for the wolves to tear apart and shut the door. His lungs are on fire his hands ache as the weight to avenge her settles in, for one second he doesn’t care that John saved him from a hell, doesn’t care that nothing with Skye is real but Garrett is and at the end of the day he’s all Ward will have left. Right now all Grant sees is someone who hurt the woman he loves and they deserve to pay for that.

Garrett watches this information unfurl on Ward’s face, he sees the clenched fists, the narrowed calculating eyes, the anger that comes to life on his cheekbones, and how his entire body coils and tenses for a fight, like he’s going to grab the gun they both know is strapped underneath the kitchen counter and do something stupid. Which is exactly why Garrett says, ‘’that’s not a weakness is it?’’ And Grant freezes, takes a deep breath and does what he’s been taught to.

In a worrisome effort Ward gets himself under control and drops his stance, relaxes his hands and thinks about everything John has done for him. None of this will really matter in the end anyway, not Skye or Fitzsimmons, not even the Avengers, they will all become meaningless and fade into nothing as soon as Garrett gets what he wants. And it’s always been Ward’s job to guarantee that John survives no matter what, he’ll destroy anyone who stands in the way, always.

Clearing his throat and slipping on the blank mask Ward responds, ‘’no’’.

‘’Are you sure? Maybe I need to remind you of why we’re here and what your job is’’.

‘’I’’-

‘’Because if you got too close and formed an attachment to this girl, well it’ll be a problem’’.

‘’I didn’t’’.

John crosses his arms, ‘’so if I told you to find her and strangle her right now you’d do it?’’

‘’Yes sir’’.

Deceit can be a powerful drug, and the high is the only thing Ward is riding on to stay afloat. 

He wouldn’t kill Skye unless he was left with absolutely no choice, and right now he still has one.

‘’Not sure if I believe you son’’.

‘’John I’’-

‘’Guess we’ll find out as soon as Raina is done analyzing Skye’s blood, in the meantime I think you need a little refresher on who we are and what we’re doing here’’.

Garrett takes off his jacket and rolls up the sleeves of his red shirt, leaving Ward shifting nervously and swallowing loudly. 

‘’Look I’m not going to enjoy this anymore than you are’’.

John walks over and without any warning knees Ward in the ribs.

Hardly wincing he takes it and Garrett grabs the back of his neck, ‘’remember this is for your own good’’.

Knowing he’s right Ward takes a deep breath and doesn’t put up a fight. 

Grant walks into the Triskelion an hour later freshly showered and not showing that he’s in any kind of pain at all, even though breathing is difficult, he’s pretty sure Garrett accidently fractured a rib this time. His back aches with every step he takes, there will be a bruise on his spine soon and his knees throb, but looking at him you wouldn’t be able to tell. Fitzsimmons say hello to him on the way to find Skye and he smiles like he’s supposed to, just like John said, all the more reminder of why they’re here.

He finds Skye in the training room on one of the mats and she’s not alone, in front of her are three highly trained Specialists that are all attempting to one up her. Take her down with moves that would kill her if she wasn’t who she was, she dodges each blow and for every one counters them with two strikes of her own. He gets caught up in watching her, how violent but graceful her movements are, how each hit and kick are deadly and smooth, beautiful. 

Before he can get too lost something else captures his attention, a flashback takes over causing the world in front of him to disappear, takes him to a happier place free of blood and sorrow.

_‘’Did you know that Tony and Bruce discovered that there are infinite parallel universes where we exist?’’_

_Cool wind whips through the air of Stark Tower and Ward holds her closer, she’s laying on the ledge of the roof her head in his lap, looking up at him softly while he has both arms around her._

_‘’Can’t say I’m surprised’’._

_With all the other worldly events he’s seen and lived through, multiple universes throughout time and space isn’t a big stretch._

_‘’Just imagine a thousand different versions of me out there, I wonder who we are, if we’re happy’’._

_The thought of there being more than one Grant Ward out there makes him uneasy._

_Skye always to attuned to him, reaches up and brushes her thumb across his cheek, ‘’more than one Grant Ward out there in the universe isn’t a bad thing babe’’._

_His family would say otherwise and it takes a moment to remember who they were and who he is now, and Grant likes the person he is. He never thought he’d be able to say that one day._

_Smiling he kisses her forehead, ‘’I know’’._

_She leans up to kiss his chest softly, ‘’I’m so proud of you Grant’’._

_No one but Skye has ever said this to him before, he’s come such a long way since he was fifteen years old and angry at the world._

_‘’Me too’’._

_He can admit that now without guilt or shame._

_Skye taps the button on his jeans, ‘’do you think we know each other in different timelines?’’_

_Ward can’t imagine himself not knowing her, even if they weren’t together or he was dead, she would influence him somehow, some way._

_Which is why he kisses her and replies, ‘’there are an infinite number of alternate universes out there and I’d love you in each and every one, no matter what’’._

_Skye sits up and cups his face, eyes shining, ‘’there isn’t a world out there where I wouldn’t love you’’._

_She kisses him and takes off his jacket, and he knows without a doubt no matter what happens, he’d always love her and she him._

_He would take on the universe and god himself to fight for her if he had to._

Reality comes back in the sound of bodies hitting the mats and cursing, the haze clears and Grant sees Skye standing over the Specialists with an eye roll, ‘’is that all you got?’’ They leave the training room grumbling to themselves as Skye grabs a sip of water and eyes him over the rim. He reads her body language and face to see if she’s still upset with him but just like him, she’s hiding her emotions behind a mask, he’s not sure he likes his own work thrown back in his face.

‘’Why does John Garrett have a key to your apartment?’’

She asks, walking over to him, he’s momentarily distracted by the black sports bra she’s wearing.

See this is why he never brings Shield agents to his apartment, too many questions.

‘’In case of emergencies’’.

She believes it of course like she’s supposed to.

The edges of anger in her eyes burns off and concern replaces it, ‘’is everything okay?’’

Garrett told him what to say in case anyone ever questioned it, ‘’an old friend of his died, he just needed to talk’’.

And the concern dries right up, she thought the emergency was with him, not John.

‘’He doesn’t have anyone else he can talk to?’’

‘’Apparently not’’.

Skye reaches him and he puts both hands on her waist, she allows the contact and sighs. 

‘’You’re loyal to him’’.

‘’Yes’’.

Ward treads very carefully, not sure where she’s going with this.

‘’I hate him’’.

He noticed, ‘’why? You don’t even know him’’.

It occurs to Ward then that she might know more about John than she lets on, what if in that other life they dream of that version of Grant told her everything?

They were married, he probably did at some point. 

But then he figures that Skye wouldn’t just sit on that information, both he and Garrett would probably be dead by now if she knew the truth.

‘’There’s just something about him that I can’t shake’’.

This is the point where he should probably do something, Garrett now that he has her blood, would expect him to kill her.

Because even though she doesn’t know everything, she has an inkling, and that’s just as dangerous.

‘’Garrett is a good man Skye, I swear’’.

She scoffs but melts into his chest, ‘’if you say so’’.

He shifts lightly so her body isn’t pressed up against his ribs, ‘’I’m sorry about this morning’’.

She lays her ear over his heart, ‘’it’s fine I understand’’.

It’s not and no she doesn’t, but he keeps quiet. 

Wrapping both arms around her Ward rests his cheek atop her head as love for her rushes over him.

He’d do anything for her, keep her safe, even from himself. 

That flashback is fresh in his mind when she says, ‘’you were having one earlier’’.

Needing no clarification he nods, ‘’we were on the roof of Stark Tower, you were saying how Tony and Bruce discovered there are multiple universes and timelines out there’’.

‘’Fitting’’.

‘’It was short, nothing too interesting happened’’.

‘’How did it end?’’

He bends down and takes his free hand to grip her chin direct her face to his, ‘’like this’’.

Then he kisses her and Ward wants to do this for the rest of his life.

Wake up with her, go to bed with her body wrapped around his own, he never wants this to end like it inevitably will. So he has no choice but to hold on with both hands and hope for the best, it doesn’t help the fact that she soothes his nightmares and he selfishly believes Skye can heal every broken part of himself. It’s not fair to her he should have never put her in that position, but is she not doing the same thing with him? Is his presence in her life not soothing the chaos she feels every day?

The thing is Ward didn’t know happiness like this existed, holding Skye is like warm coffee on a cold January morning, like getting a fresh fire going in the woods by himself in the dark. And now that she’s by his side and they eat breakfast together and sleep side by side, he doesn’t want to give that up. Ward hasn’t ever felt like this before, he’s never been this happy in his entire life, he’s never held joy and hope in the palms of his hands before, doesn’t want to give it, her, up.

But the choice isn’t up to him and it never really has been, soon she will leave him and he’ll have nothing.

‘’I take back what I said earlier’’.

She says against his mouth, slipping her hands underneath his shirt and stroking his back.

Smiling he runs his lips down her throat as she mutters, ‘’lock the door, I turned off the cameras already’’.

He does and soon he’s pressing her against the concrete wall yanking off her workout pants.

Bruises haven’t begun to form yet but they will later, Ward reminds himself as he’s putting his shirt back on. Skye slips on her bra and leans over to give him a kiss, it’s something so simple, an act he’s gotten used to. He’ll miss it once she’s gone, he’ll miss everything about her. Once they’re fully dressed he opens the door and the pair comes face to face with Nick Fury and Phil Coulson, Skye of course isn’t fazed but Ward feels the tips of his ears turn pink causing her to grin and reassuringly tap his chest.

‘’If you two are done we have a mission for you’’.

‘’Oh my god were you listening to us? Nick looks like he’d be into it’’.

Coulson laughs but Fury isn’t amused, ‘’Quake we were waiting for the two of you to wrap up your training’’.

‘’Sure, that’s what we were doing’’.

‘’There’s a mission in Paris Director Fury needs us on, Fitzsimmons and May will be going as well’’.

Skye groans, ‘’I vote we leave the Calvary behind’’.

‘’May goes, we need her muscle’’.

‘’Please I’m all the muscle you need, even Ward is just eye candy’’.

At the look on his face she lovingly pats his cheek, ‘’very sexy eye candy that can break someone’s jaw with your pinky’’.

‘’Don’t patronize me’’.

She looks over at Fury, ‘’look what you did, you put him in a bad mood now I have to deal with it’’.

She walks away after telling Coulson to text her the details, Ward follows close behind.

They’re nearly out to the lobby when he hears Fury tell Coulson, ‘’I thought things were bad when those two hated each other but this is worse, so much worse’’.

‘’Oh come on Ward has been alone long enough and Skye has been through a lot, they deserve to be happy’’.

‘’I hate when you try to play match maker’’.

‘’Apologies Director Fury’’.

Grant has been to France several times and it always ends the same way; empty hotel room, take out target, sleep, go back to the Triskelion for another mission, rinse and repeat over and over. Only now he’s reminded that things are different, Skye is here and he won’t sleep in an empty bed or sit at a bar alone, she’ll want to sight see once the mission is done and since he’s never done that in all the times he’s been to Paris. 

Fitzsimmons are in the small lab on the jet on the flight to France, Skye sleeps with her head on his shoulder and Ward keeps John’s words fresh in his mind. Even though he’s already attached to Skye and it’s too late for him, he’s going to make sure his former mentor gets out of this alive, even if he has to sacrifice his own life in order to make it happen. It’s late in the evening when they land and after checking into the hotel Skye and Ward set out to track their target down.

Andrew Miles is a forty eight year old professor who Shield suspects is designing tracking devices to monitor the organization. Ward’s job is to interrogate while Skye is the muscle and Fitzsimmons is on standby to study the devices if Shield’s suspicions are true. After checking the perimeter Ward joins Skye across the street at an outdoor coffee parlor, from this view they have clear insight on Andrew’s townhouse, Coulson and May are at the back door watching and waiting. 

Skye takes the bottle of sugar on the table and pours some onto the surface, drawing shapes with her fingernail while they observe. From here if you squint you can see the lights twinkling from the Eiffel Tower, he’s never actually seen it in person, neither has he visited the statues, museums and monuments that make up this country. Skye orders coffee and several pastries, eats half then plays on her phone before focusing her attention on him.

‘’Truth or dare babe?’’

‘’I’m not playing’’.

She flicks a small amount of jelly at him, ‘’please? I’m bored’’.

‘’No’’.

‘’You suck the fun out of everything’’.

‘’So I’ve been told’’.

‘’Just one round?’’

At the look on her face he sighs and caves, ‘’fine’’.

‘’I dare you to kiss me’’.

Reaching for her across the table one hand cupping her throat, he kisses her quickly, simply like they have all the time in the world.

‘’That was your dare?’’ He asks when they part, ‘’ I was expecting something insane like having me take my clothes off and dance in the street’’.

‘’First of all no one is allowed to see you naked but me and second of all, you wouldn’t do it anyway, have to start off small so I don’t scare you off. You’re turn’’.

At the warm possessive tone Ward smiles, feeling like someone finally understands him and likes him for him, not what he can do for them.

Thinking for a moment he settles with something easy, ‘’is the first time you’ve been to Paris?’’

Shadows fill her eyes for a second and he regrets asking but she quickly recovers, ‘’I’ve been here once a few years ago, it didn’t end well’’.

Assuming it was a result of her powers he doesn’t ask but she gives him the details anyway. 

‘’People have a tendency to die on me’’.

Ward nearly says he can relate, but that’s something his cover would never voice so he settles with, ‘’I’m sorry, I hope you know none of it was your fault’’.

Squeezing her hand she gives him a small smile, ‘’that’s what they tell me. Okay my turn, have you ever done it inside the Eiffel Tower?’’

He laughs, ‘’no’’.

‘’Do you want to?’’

Well now he does.

‘’After we get this guy we can go sightseeing, stop by the Eiffel Tower’’.

Skye pauses taking a sip of coffee, ‘’who are you and what have you done with Agent Ward?’’

‘’What, I can’t enjoy myself with you?’’

‘’Oh god did I break you? All the sex has made you soft and submissive’’.

He’s about to make a quip about how is not submissive when May says in their coms, ‘’Andrew isn’t here, Coulson spotted him on a security camera headed into his job, must be a late night meeting’’.

And that’s how Skye and Ward end up touring two museums and looking up at the Eiffel Tower.

The breeze is chilled the lights are bright, the night quiet with a few people here and there. Teenagers taking pictures, a few couples dancing to music that’s playing softly a few feet away consisting of one violin and a cello, others are spread out on blankets in the grass lost in a world of their own. Grant is holding Skye from behind her back against his chest, a plaid green blanket they just bought covering their bodies, it’s warm between them and everything just feels perfect. 

There isn’t anyone else he’d rather be here with than Skye, he used to roll his eyes when he heard people refer to Paris as the City of Love, but he can see the pull now. The romance in the air, the happiness, Ward feels it enter his blood like a drug and he can’t stop touching her, now he plants a kiss on the top of her head and she squeezes his arms. In this one single second he’d give it all up if she asked, one word and he’d walk away from John, from Hydra and Shield to be the man she thinks he is.

But she won’t and he’ll never be the person she wants him to be. Before he can stew on those thoughts Skye speaks up her voice quiet.

‘’When I was in the lab and even after Natasha rescued me I never thought I deserved to be happy again, that I’d done so many bad things people would always see the monster they made me into and nothing else, but that’s not true, the Avengers don’t, neither do Fitzsimmons or you’’.

He’s never viewed her as a monster or a weapon set to explode, and he never will.

Grant tells her this and she shudders in his arms.

‘’But I’m happy with you, and I never thought I would be again’’.

For a moment his heart breaks for her because the person she has molded her life with isn’t real.

Agent Ward is going to end soon and she’ll be left with nothing but bitter memories of the man who once made her feel human.

But Garrett needs this, so Ward does what he has to.

Turning so they’re facing one another he cups her face and whispers, ‘’I’m happy too’’.

Smiling she replies, ‘’sometimes it’s hard to accept that I deserve it you know?’’

‘’I understand’’.

‘’You’re the only one who does’’.

He has made her vulnerable, dropped her guard completely and this is when he should swoop in for the kill, it’s what Garrett would want, but he doesn’t. 

Instead he says, ‘’just because you’ve done bad things it doesn’t make you a bad person, you’re good, the best person I know’’.

‘’So are you’’.

‘’No’’.

‘’Ward’’-

Shaking his head, he strokes her hair and raw honesty spills from him, he’s never been so truthful with another person before when he says, ‘’I am not a good man Skye’’.

The admission slips past his lips like blood, he can shove the words back his throat or laugh it off, for some reason he needs her to know this so her heart doesn’t get tangled in his webs of lies anymore. He hardly registers the tears in her eyes and thinks about how wrong it is for anyone to cry over him, he’s not worth it, never has been and never will be. All that guilt is swimming through his bloodstream and he wants to tell her everything, every lifeless body that fell at his feet, every scream he hears at night.

As if she’s a priest and he should drop to his knees and confess all his sins, beg for a forgiveness he hasn’t earned in the hopes she’ll accept him instead of turning on him like everyone else has. Ward is expecting Skye to agree with him, her tone soft as she tries to ease the blow. A truth he’s known since he was a child, that everyone comes to understand about him after a while. Grant Ward is a liar, a killer, a traitor. He’ll be forever branded with that word after Shield falls, they might as well put it on his tombstone, if he even gets one.

But she surprises him by grabbing his chin her expression fierce and full of fire and she says the last thing he expects, something no one has ever said to him before.

‘’Yes you are’’.

It’s as if the world stops, like it too cannot believe that anyone would ever disagree with him on this subject. It’s such a shock to his system that Ward feels himself sway as if she used her powers on him, his chest feels tight his hands shake. And suddenly without realizing it he’s kissing her desperately her body so close to his own, her skin underneath his hands. No one has ever acted this way towards him he doesn’t know what to do how to think where to put his hands. 

Salvation is not something he’s ever believed in, Ward has never tried to attain it, but right now it’s like Skye is covered in it. He wants to hold her close and never let go, not to use her as a crutch or lifeline, but to help him believe that she could be right and everyone else in his life all these years has been wrong. For one second hope enters him like maybe it’ll all work out and she’ll still care about him at the end of all things and he basks in the lies, in the false dream he feeds himself.

Forgetting about the mission, the target and even John himself, Ward kisses Skye until he can’t breathe until nothing on earth matters but her hands on his chest and her lips against his own. He could die right here and now and wouldn’t care, she could stab him in the heart and he’d let her, happily. Out of breath she pulls away first and smiles, he can feel her teeth against his lips as she puts both hands on the back of his neck. 

‘’If you two are done Andrew is walking in your direction now’’.

Fitz says in their com units and Skye laughs, the moment shattered as she looks up at him.

He must still be wearing an awed gaze because she cups his face again, ‘’you’re a good man Grant Ward, and if I have to tell you that every day until you believe it I will’’.

And that hope he felt moments ago shrivels up and dies, because their days are numbered and she’ll never see him as good ever again.

So he kisses her instead to soothe the sting, and she remains blind to the person he really is, just like they want her to.

The mission goes smoothly and by the time Skye and Ward have made it back to the hotel, showered and ordered room service it’s late and all the lights are off. Skye and Ward are lying in bed, her slow breathing filling the air, Ward is on his back sleep just about to pull him under, when her hand finds his in the dark and squeezes his fingers. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to go back to sleeping alone, drinking coffee alone, all he’s ever wanted is next to him. 

Skye inhales shakily as if nervous, her hands starts trembling in his and he turns so they’re facing each other, can make out her form as she copies the movement. 

Before he can ask what’s wrong she says, ‘’I love you’’.

No one has ever said this to him before, not once, not his parents or John or Kebo, his younger siblings or grandmother, the words have never been directed at him before. He has no idea what to do with them, like they’re glass she’s just shoved in his hands and he can either bleed or say it back or both. At first disbelief clouds his judgment, his mother and brother’s voices are so loud in his ear saying he doesn’t deserve her love, that no one could ever care about him because he’s a cruel monster. 

That she’s wrong and confused and allowed their intimate relationship to turn into something it’s not, there’s no way she could ever feel a fraction of what he does for her, it’s impossible, he’s a terrible man and will only break her in the end. Pity follows because if she really does love him she’s in love with a ghost, she wouldn’t like the real him, whoever that is. But despite all those voices screaming in his brain he knows one thing is true, one thing out of all this that matters. 

He can feel it in his bones, his soul when he replies, ‘’I love you too’’.

It may be the most selfish thing he’s ever said, but when everything is done and she hates him he needs her to know that this is real, what’s between them, how he feels, it always has been. He’s never lied about his emotions towards her, and even though he’s never been in love before he knows with his entire heart that that’s what is going on here. He’s been in love with her since he first saw her and always will be, there will only ever be Skye for him.

The shock, doubt and outright disbelief fades when she lets out a laugh, ‘’you love me?’’

‘’I should be asking you that’’.

He makes a grab for her just as she rolls onto his chest, her hands in his hair, ‘’say it again’’.

‘’I love you’’.

She’s kissing him now and surely Ward has to be dreaming because people like him don’t get a moment like this, they don’t deserve it.

They laugh and cry together and then he’s taking off her shirt and they revel in the fact that after so many years alone they’ve finally found someone to love them.

He’s kissing his way down her bellybutton moments later when a voice that sounds exactly like his own whispers in the back of his brain, _‘’Skye I love you, I’ll find you’’._

Not even caring about the context behind that, Ward realizes that he did it, he found her.

And he never wants to let her go.

The following evening they’re back at the Triskelion filling out paperwork, well Ward is while Skye sits in his lap and neither one of them can stop smiling. Ward sits at the desk he’s never at and attempts to type out his report but Skye keeps kissing his face and he can’t concentrate, he’s about to suggest screwing the paperwork and going back to her apartment when Maria Hill walks in, shattering the moment as Skye dramatically sighs but doesn’t leave his lap.

‘’Make it quick Maria we were having a moment’’.

‘’Heard you two have been having a lot of moments recently’’.

Skye slams booth feet on the ground and Grant squeezes her thigh saying not to overreact.

‘’What do you need Agent Hill?’’

She glances at him, ‘’not you, her, Director Fury needs Quake for a mission’’.

‘’Gross, why?’’

‘’It’s classified’’.

‘’Can I shower first? I haven’t even had a chance to go home yet’’.

‘’No, wheels up in ten’’.

‘’I’m showering and you can shove that wheel right up your’’-

Grant squeezes her thigh again and offers a gentle soothing smile, ‘’it’s okay’’.

She wraps both arms around his neck, ‘’I had a plan when we got back to my apartment’’.

‘’A plan?’’

‘’I was going to seduce you with candles and lingerie but god forbid Shield needs me to kill someone real quick’’.

Hill clears her throat to let them know she’s still in the room but Skye and Ward don’t pay her any attention.

‘’I’ll still be here when you get back’’.

She frowns, ‘’wonder why they’re just sending me and not both of us’’.

‘’If you find out let me know’’.

He kisses her slowly like they have all the time in the world and then Skye stands but keeps a hand on his shoulder. 

‘’Wait for me’’.

She silently commands causing him to smile, ‘’always’’.

Then she’s gone following after Hill and he’s alone.

An hour later he’s wrapping up the rest of the paperwork when the screen of his computer suddenly turns black just as a message from John comes through saying he’s at the Triskelion. Pressing a few buttons on the keyboard does nothing when the screen suddenly flashes white then gray, and a word pops that causes his blood to chill.

_Hydra_ in big bold black letters.

And just like that Agent Grant Ward falls with Shield, now the end begins.

**Turn, turn, turn.**


	19. Goddamn Right You Should Be Scared of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shield falls, Skye's mission descends into chaos as Hydra reveals themselves, and the events of Captain America the Winter Solider unfurl themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't written a decent Skye fight scene in years, I tried really hard at the beginning of this chapter to do her justice but honestly I'm a little rusty, so just use your imagination because we all know Skye is a bad ass.
> 
> Also here are the events that happen in this chapter in order, so no one gets confused because I did it a little differently than the movie and in the Agents of Shield timeline.
> 
> -Shield falls, Skye, Steve, Nat and Sam fight Bucky and Hydra agents at the Triskelion, the sequence of events in season 1 of Agents of Shield takes place.
> 
> The flashback in this one takes place after Skye and Ward got back together in the last fic, I love it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

_‘_ _’Wherever she goes, death follows’’._

Blood spattered all over a concrete floor, dripping down the walls, bodies littered across the ground with broken bones and wounds too severe to overcome. A phone rings unanswered on a counter, a tv monitor hangs off it’s wall, flickering screen and broken glass, the room is dark save for one on the ceiling that shuts off and on, occasionally letting out a cluster of sparks like it too does not want to see the sight below it very often.

Skye stands amongst the corpses gore and doesn’t bat an eye, too used to the splintered bones and open eyes that will forever stare up at nothing. Wiping the scarlet off her knife she slips it back in her combat boot and flexes her arm muscles, tries to calm that voice in her head that something is very wrong. Stepping over the aftermath of the fight she was just in, Quake grabs her phone from the floor and calls Nat, wondering what the hell is going on, but there’s no answer.

Checking the cameras around the massive ship she’s on and cursing Fury and Hill for sending her out here in the middle of nowhere, Skye looks to see if this attack is happening everywhere or if it was reserved only for her. Room after room, shot after shot, it’s all the same damn thing. An agent or three will have their guards down, and other Shield agents will attack them. Skye quickly realizes who the bad guys are and divides it up into one category; they are her enemies.

And if she wants to get off this damn boat alive, she’s going to have to kill everyone aboard. Heading for the closed door Skye checks the camera feed to see if there’s anyone in the hallway as four men come down loaded with automatic weapons. They pause right by the door and speak quietly amongst themselves, Skye has to press her ear to the wood to hear.

‘’You do realize Quake is on board right? There’s no way in hell we’re going to be able to take her’’.

One of them snorts, ‘’there’s eighty five of us and only one of her, she can’t face those odds’’.

‘’Dude this is Quake we’re talking about, she’s faced worse odds than this and won’’.

‘’But she’s alone, she doesn’t have the Avengers with her or Ward this time’’.

‘’Don’t even mention that asshole in my presence’’.

‘’I hope he’s dead along with the rest of the Shield bastards’’.

‘’Hail Hydra’’.

‘’Hail Hydra’’.

The world stops spinning, because anyone who has ever spent anytime at Shield knows exactly who and what Hydra is, an organization that was supposed to have been defeated forty years ago. But it clearly wasn’t, and if today is any example that means they have been hiding in the shadows at Shield this entire time. Skye nearly laughs at the irony and wishes she could see Fury’s stupid face right now, but then she thinks about Natasha and how this is going to rip her apart.

Skye can’t afford to think about what this means right now, she can’t focus on Nat’s emotions or how scared she is for the rest of the people she loves, because if she worries about Ward or Steve or Fitzsimmons, she’s never going to make it out of here. Taking a deep breath and preparing her body for the hell she’s about to put it through, Skye locks it all down. The fear for her friends and family, the sadness at Shield falling, the worry at how this is going to affect Natasha, it all goes in a box.

All this comes down to is survival, a game Skye is intimately familiar with, and no one plays it better than her. So she does what she does best, pictures everyone as a target and threat to her life, and she will end them just like she has a hundred times before. Because if it’s between her and someone else, she’s going to choose herself every time. Nat’s training made her into a vicious well-oiled machine and in this life full of monsters and men, it’s kept her ahead of the curve, it’s kept her alive.

Making sure the knife is still in her boot she grabs two guns and tucks one at the holster on her hip, the other at her thigh and cracks her knuckles, time to play. Using the element of surprise she pushes open the door quietly and before any of the men can blink she’s on them. Grabs the first one and breaks his neck, the second is shoved into a wall and the third is shot quickly. The fourth makes a grab for her hair but she knees him in the gut before breaking both his arms and using her powers to end his life.

The one she pushed into the wall recovers and takes out a knife, grinning and taunting as he swings it at her. ‘’Come on Quake is that all you got?’’ Never one to be goaded, Skye dodges the second aim at her throat with the blade and once his back is to her she shatters his spine with her powers. Wasting no time she heads down the hall and unlocks the door, the ship rocks with the movement of the ocean and Skye can’t wait to yell at Fury for sending her here, if he’s still alive.

Coming to another hallway filled with bunks she takes one silent step on the red tile and a door opens, three people walk out and when they see her their guns raise. So, enemies then. Lifting one hand they go flying across the hall, guns breaking into a thousand pieces and Skye rushes over the nearest body and breaks their neck. Number two stands and manages to punch her in the face, he doesn’t get another chance as Skye breaks his legs and when he’s down she uses her knife to end him.

Number four puts up more of a fight and Skye kicks him in the face, once he’s on his knees she slams his head into the wall and moves on. More people to take down, this ship is massive and she’s going to have to go through every section to make it up top and escape. Another door opens this time it’s only one woman, Skye takes her out with Nat’s signature move and steals a third gun just in case. The ship lurches as a wave crashes into it, causing Skye to lose her footing and crash into a wall.

Annoyed at this entire situation and wishing Ward were here, Skye moves onto another department and it ends the same way. Floor after floor, hallway after hallway, the end result is Skye standing over bodies with blood on her hands. She’s in the center of the ship which means if she wants to make it to the upper deck where the captain and life rafts are, she has about five more stories until she gets there, and they’re all crawling with Hydra agents.

Walking up a flight off stairs Skye hardly has time to duck when a fist comes flying at her from above, leaping over the railing so there is more room to fight, Skye turns around to find two female Shield agents she’s seen on occasion at the Triskelion and the nearby bar. Even though they’re familiar it’s not like she has emotional ties to them, killing them, hell killing everyone on this ship, won’t cause her to lose any sleep or shed a tear.

It’s not like she knows anyone here personally, she has no reason to feel betrayed because she’s never been loyal to Shield, and no one she knows would ever be on Hydra’s side.

One of the female agents smiles and says, ‘’I’ve wanted to kill you for a long time’’.

The other comments, ‘’you should surrender now Quake, Hydra wants you on our side you’d be a perfect asset’’.

Skye spots a crowbar sitting on a vacant shelf and grabs it, ‘’no thanks, not interested in your Nazi fan club’’.

She swings the crow bar and the nearest one who dodges it and attempts to kick Skye in the shin, but she dances out of the way and grabs the woman by her waist, lifts her up and slams her onto the ground. The second girl tackles Skye to the ground but is met with a headbutt and Skye’s knife to her ribs. The first girl stands and they circle each for a moment before she makes her move, they go back and forth for a minute dodging blows and swinging fists, but Skye has the upper hand, always will.

Stepping over the two dead bodies Skye makes her way up the stairs and pauses to listen to her powers if anyone is waiting for her above, six people in the next room, she can take them. Getting to the door that requires a key card, she quakes it open and bullets immediately start flying. Lifting a hand they stop a second later and Skye throws herself into the fray, knocks out the nearest person and heads for the next. Breaks kneecaps and skulls, dodges punches and kicks while delivering several of her own.

Someone pulls on her hair so hard and drags her to the ground, sits on her chest and punches her in the face, Skye raises an arm to protect her face and with the other grabs the necklace around their throat and wraps it around until the tightness causes a distraction and they stop hitting her. Taking that small advantage Skye bucks them off and grabs her gun, fires twice and moves on. Two people left standing in front of the door and Skye takes them both down with her bare hands.

Every doorway now requires a key card so she has no choice but to quake them open which immediately alerts everyone inside she’s there, and it doesn’t take long to realize they’re either hunting her down or waiting for her. Every single person meets the same fate, some beg for their lives, others curse her until they stop breathing, most of them though think that they can win, that since there are so many of them and only one of her that somehow means something.

Skye is a one-woman army, everything she needs to survive is right there between her fingertips, there are only two people on the planet that could kill her and neither of them are on this ship. She’s nearly made it to the upper deck when fifteen men greet her this time in a hallway all armed to the teeth, dressed in all black, they were waiting for her.

One of them smiles as they lock eyes, ‘’surrender or die Quake’’.

‘’I’m not the one who’s going to die here’’.

‘’You think you’re so strong don’t you? You can’t stand against Hydra, do you have any idea how powerful we are?’’

‘’Do you have any idea that every floor below us is filled with bodies? You’re out of your element, I’d say you all should surrender but there’s no point, I won’t leave you alive’’.

‘’You’re a monster’’.

Skye cocks her head to the side, ‘’says the Hydra agent who has killed several Shield agents today and for what?’’

‘’You’re going to be one of them’’.

‘’Don’t bet on it sweetheart’’.

They of course still think for some reason they can beat her, and are sadly mistaken. Skye heads up another floor and it’s all the same, repetitive and tiring at this point, she walks in, people make snide comments or gloat about being in a Nazi organization and she kills them. Skye was trained to push through pain, to ignore broken bones and bleeding wounds, to only focus on getting out, she can worry about her injuries later.

Which is why she can’t feel the sprained ankle, the broken fingers, the cuts on her face, the split knuckles and lip, the aching jaw, the bruised ribs. Her body has always been a war zone and this is no different, this will just be more scars to add to the collection on her skin. She’s about to walk through another passage when she notices a door slightly open to her left, taking a step inside she finds it’s the communications room with radios, telephones and other devices sailors use to send messages to one another.

Taking a risk but needing to do so, Skye grabs the nearest radio and turns to the channel the Avengers use along with higher up Shield agents, pressing the button on the walkie talkie she closes the door and prays someone is listening, not that she needs rescuing but she has no idea where they are right now and if it’s the middle of the ocean she has no clue how to steer this ship.

‘’Mayday, mayday is anyone there?’’

Static is all that greets her, then crackling, a throat clears but then it’s gone.

‘’This is Agent Daisy Johnson I’m aboard the USS Danvers in need of immediate assistance and extraction, is anyone there?’’

No one but the Avengers know her real name so using it alters them that it’s really her talking, and this is an emergency. They agreed long ago that using her birthname is a code for a dire life or death situation, plus if Hydra thinks she’s dead or not on board she can use that to her advantage. After a few more attempts and no response she gives up just as the door swings open and a man enters, immediately tries to take her down and does not succeed.

Skye jumps back when he tries to wrap both arms around her, she takes the radio cord and wraps it around his neck, kicks out both his legs so he falls to the floor and she sits on top of him. He struggles for two minutes before his chest stops rising, Skye wipes the blood and sweat off her face and continues on, it’s all she can do. Hating Fury as the minutes go on, she finally makes it to the upper deck and peeks out the cabin door.

Twenty-seven people now stand in her way to freedom, including the captain, she’s starting to suspect that there are not actually any Shield agents on this ship, just Hydra and her. So far she hasn’t stumbled upon any hostages or dead bodies other than the ones she caused, just her luck that she’s the only one on this stupid vessel that isn’t Hydra. There are nine men patrolling the deck, a few more stationed here and there no doubt on the lookout for her.

There are supposed to be two jets strapped to said deck but the spots where they are supposed to be are conveniently empty, of course, they probably got rid of them on purpose before they set sail. Gritting her teeth Skye tip toes to the nearest agent and traps him in a headlock, he didn’t even have time to alert the others, she takes out the rest in a similar fashion. Someone obviously noticed bodies dropping because as soon as she comes into sight the rest of the Hydra agents are waiting for her.

Wanting to get this over with already Skye saunters to the middle of the deck so they’re on either side of her, she looks at the faces of the people who have betrayed and lied to other agents and their superiors for years and feels nothing at all. The sky is bright blue the sun shining warmly, on a day like today there should be pounding rain and thunder, vicious lightning and strong powerful waves battering the boat and nearly sinking them.

But seagulls are singing overhead and a pod of dolphins appears to the right of them like everything is normal and this doesn’t feel like the end of the world. Skye recognizes the man who steps up, she’s assuming he’s the leader here, Agent Tyler, he paid for her drinks once at the bar and she stole money out of his wallet a couple times. Points a gun at her and the rest follow, she’s outmanned and out gunned, not that this has ever stopped her before.

‘’Give up now Quake and we won’t hurt you’’.

‘’Pass’’.

‘’You can’t win here’’.

‘’I have so far’’.

‘’It won’t last’’.

‘’Unless you assholes have Natasha Romanoff or Thor in your back pocket, you don’t stand a chance against me’’.

‘’Last time Quake, join us or we kill you’’.

She lets out a laugh, ‘’I just killed like sixty people on my own in less than an hour, what makes you morons think you won’t end up just like them?’’

‘’You’re nothing’’.

Guns are cocked but Tyler scratches his beard before putting his own away, ‘’have it your way then’’.

Skye shrugs, ‘’okay’’.

It’s a tangle of limbs and dodging blows, hands pulling at her hair, an elbow to her ribs, a kick to her shins, a punch to her ear, temples, chest, arms wrapped around her from behind, something hard crashing into the back of her skull so hard she sees starts. Lying on the ground Skye wraps both legs around the nearest body and hoists herself up, flips them over her head and takes them out with a knife to the throat.

‘’You’re nothing’’.

One of them spits out before she breaks his jaw.

Skye looks out into the marks trying to kill her and says, ‘’I’m the Destroyer of Worlds’’.

A shot rings out and before she can spin around to intercept the bullet it strikes her in the back of the leg and she hits the deck, knees holding her up, agents still on either side of her. Inhaling calmly like Nat taught her, Skye feels every vibration and movement in the palms of her hands and holds them both out in front of her, creating a small earthquake of pure energy in her skin and spreads out her arms, her power runs through her hands on both sides of her body and it works exactly like it’s supposed to.

Men on the left and right side of her go flying, the wood that makes up the deck is pushed up and shattered into pieces, the quake tears through the ship in violent bone crushing waves, resulting in bodies dropping and lives ending. When the smoke clears and all is quiet Skye stands and takes off her jacket and ties it around the bullet wound in her leg to apply pressure, doesn’t pay any mind to the dead people on the floor, her focus on the captain in his quarter slumped over the wheel, he’s never getting back up.

Skye was on the lower decks when Hydra started it’s attack so there are the final few she should probably go down to investigate but decides to wait for them up here, give them a little surprise should they come up to see what’s going on. That’s exactly what happens, the rest of the strangling Hydra agents walk up the stairs and meet Quake, she handles them accordingly with her fists and powers. It isn’t until she smells gasoline that she realizes there’s a problem.

Checking the camera feed on her phone she sees one of the helium gas tanks below was damaged by her more than likely and that can only mean one thing since she’s alone and has no idea how to repair it, she has to get off this war ship immediately before it explodes. There isn’t enough time to run for one of the life boats so she raises her hands by her ankles and is suspended in the air, doesn’t really have a plan yet, she just has to get far enough away so the blast doesn’t kill her.

Skye hovers over the water for thirty seconds before the entire ship explodes in a harsh burst of fire and smoke, she was in range of the blast and it violently knocks her backwards, her vision turning black. The last thing she thinks of before her bodies falls into the ocean is Nat and if she’ll ever see her again. Dark salt water absorbs her form as it starts to sink down to the icy depths, blood seeping out her multiple wounds, she has no idea that her distress call was heard, and Tony Stark is going to save her.

_Smeared scarlet all over a bleached white tile floor, a needle and thread drifting in and out of butchered skin, the watch on Grant’s wrist reads seven a.m. but the sun isn’t shining on the account of the rain. Thunder rattles the windows and the lightning causes every shadow on Ward’s face to disappear which makes him look angrier, if that’s even possible at this point. He isn’t normally a pacer but he’s currently walking the length of her private bathroom at the Playground over and over, running a hand down his chin._

_A familiar tugging sensation has Skye looking down at the source of all this tension in the room, a bullet wound in her arm being stitched up by Lincoln Campbell, blonde hair ruffled from being called away from his bed to help her. Ignoring the discomfort, Skye focuses back on her lover who is now running both hands through his dark hair, pinching the bridge of his nose, cursing in Russian under his breath before switching to Spanish, then two other languages she doesn’t know._

_He passes by her legs again and she kicks out at his shin, which he’d dodge if this were a normal morning, but since it’s not her boot connects with his dark jeans and he flinches. Those whiskey eyes meet her own and he doesn’t bend to her unspoken suggestion to stop brooding, instead he continues to pace and curse in French. Lincoln finishes stitching up the wound, applies gauze, gives her the rundown she has memorized on proper care and getting rest, then he leaves the couple alone._

_Without a word Grant starts cleaning up the mess left behind, her soiled shirt on the floor, his jacket he used to put pressure on her arm, the spots of blood from the door to her office to the bathroom. Knowing he has every right to be pissed off Skye stands from her perch on the bathtub and grabs the pain pills that are kept under the sink. Downing three, she glances at her reflection in the mirror and winces at her cheekbones filled with dried blood, there’s a trail of it running down her arm as well, fingers stained too._

_Grant comes back a moment later and she sighs at the expression on his face, ‘’are you going to help me get in the shower or are you still pouting?’’ Closing the bathroom door he’s silent as he walks up and carefully peels off her sports bra and dark jeans, unties her boots and takes off her socks. Starts the shower and once it’s hot takes a wet washcloth and wipes the blood off her face and arm, then carries her into the shower and takes off his own clothes._

_Under the steaming spray Ward isn’t the only one unnerved by this morning’s events, the mission that went wrong and would have resulted in Grant’s death or serious injury if Skye hadn’t shoved him out of the way. The bullet meant for his chest struck her in the arm instead, it was pure luck that she shifted just in time for it to end up where it did. So she understands why Ward is upset, she could have just as easily died or got hurt, not that either of those options are brand new to them._

_She’s reaching for the shampoo bottle when Ward grabs it for her, starts washing her hair with expert hands and she melts in his hold, sinks back against his chest and he finally, finally relaxes the tension in his body, squeezes her shoulders._

_‘’You scared me’’._

_He mutters against her hair, resting his cheek atop her head._

_Skye turns so they’re facing one another, wraps her good arm around his waist._

_‘’I’m not going to apologize’’._

_If she didn’t intervene he’d probably be dead right now._

_Grant leans his forehead against hers, hair plastered to his face from the water, he looks so young here, so fragile._

_‘’You would have done the same thing for me’’._

_Skye gently reminds him, he kisses her temple, ‘’I know’’._

_‘’We have a habit of doing stupid things to protect each other’’._

_In their long history with one another, both Skye and Ward have been known to put their own lives at serious risk to save the other._

_Running a hand up his chest she says, ‘’so when you think about it you really can’t be mad at me’’._

_He gives her a look, ‘’if the situation were reversed you would have thrown a fit by now’’._

_And she has in the past so many times before, his reaction is tame compared to her own._

_Grant grabs the conditioner and lathers in into her long hair, waits until it’s rinsed out before quietly saying, ‘’I don’t know what I would do without you’’._

_Turning back around to look at him Skye cups his face and strokes those perfect cheekbones, he looks so sad, so vulnerable like she’s going to disappear in a cloud of smoke any second._

_‘’You’ll never have to find out’’._

_It’s a lie though, she can’t really promise him that and if their past is anything to go on, they’re always losing each other, but they always find each other too, so that makes up for it. Skye would go through every pain, every heart break, sleepless nights in an empty bed, and crying alone in a bathtub just to end up right where she is right now with him. Ward is everything to her, the first man to love each individual piece of her soul, to help her realize she deserves to be happy._

_He of course reads right through her fragile words like they’re broken glass, but chooses to accept them anyway because the alternative, a life without the one he loves, is unfathomable. Ward holds her face between his hands, runs both thumbs below her eyes, ‘’I’ve lost you too many times before, I can’t, I can’t do it again’’. In the game of who has more near death experiences, Skye has been winning for years and Ward hates playing._

_Knowing one day one of them is going to die before the other, Skye stands on her toes and kisses him softly, ‘’I love you’’._

_Because in the end that’s all they’ll have left each other, the memory of a love that burned through universes and was strong enough to overcome gods._

_Grant pulls her hair back from her eyes, kisses her back and says against her lips, ‘’I love you so much’’._

_‘’I’d hope so since I just took a bullet for you’’._

_Not amused he opens the body wash leaving her laughing under the hot water._

_Later they’re curled in bed and he’s playing with the rings on her left hand, both the engagement and eternity rings have been freshly cleaned, the silver wedding band polished, Skye was never one for jewelry but she proudly wears these every single day. Even when they were separated she never took them off because some part of her believed they’d never really be over, that their love could crawl out of the grave they tried to bury it in and overcome any barrier, any tragedy._

_‘’You’re my last minute person’’._

_She tells him, half asleep across his chest her face in his neck._

_Ward runs a hand down her bare back, ‘’what?’’_

_‘’If I had only minutes left to live, you’re the one I’d want to spend them with’’._

_It’s romantic in a morbid way and considering he’s the one who always delivers epic heart stopping comments, Skye had to spice it up._

_He holds her tighter and she knows he’s at a loss for words for the moment, which is a rare occurrence._

_‘’Not Nat or Tony?’’_

_Surprise laces his tone that she chose him over the people that basically raised her._

_Even though they’ve been in love for ten years sometimes he still has a hard time accepting the depth of her feelings for him._

_She kisses his pulse point and replies, ‘’it’ll always be you Ward, it’s always been you’’._

_She seals that vow by leaning up and kissing him, running both hands through his hair._

_‘’You’re my last minute person too, the only one I’d want to see before the end’’._

_He says when they break apart and her head is underneath his chin._

_‘’Okay you did not have to one up me with that, couldn’t let me win for cheesy romantic lines could you babe?’’_

_‘’It’s not a contest, I’m not keeping score’’._

_‘’I am and you’re winning’’._

_Ward chuckles, ‘’I didn’t even know I was capable of being romantic until I met you, you brought out sides of me I never knew existed’’._

_‘’Oh my god stop’’._

_‘’You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me’’._

_‘’Grant Douglas Ward if you make me cry’’-_

_She shuts up when he kisses her and in the darkness of the room it’s like no one exists but the two of them._

_Several minutes later Skye is almost asleep when Ward whispers he loves her one more time and she drifts off with a smile on her face._

_As long as they have that, they can get through anything._

Skye never understood how addicting that alternate reality she dreams about could be until now. Because she’d rather be there than here, here where liars sit on thrones and the jokers who dressed up as kings get to rule the world. Where you thought you knew whose lies you were telling, that you were doing the right thing even though so much death surrounded you, but even if something appears to be filled with good intentions on the outside, it can be full of monsters on the inside.

That’s the thing about betrayal, it never comes from your enemies and you never see it coming. It sneaks up on you with kind words and sweet smiles and then without warning it sinks a knife into your spine, killing or paralyzing you. Skye was never a fan of Shield and only stayed with the organization for Nat, loyalty was something everyone knew she didn’t have, but that doesn’t mean she wanted them to fall or experience an attack like this.

In the past forty two hours Shield has been shot down in a pile of flames and Hydra agents, anyone loyal to Shield either escaped after fighting for their lives, or they were killed. The Triskelion has been overthrown silently by Hydra and everyone now thinks Shield are the terrorists, Nick Fury is dead, Steve Rogers has been ruled as a criminal, as has Natasha Romanoff and Skye. The rest of the Avengers are in the clear for now unless they take Steve’s side, which they have every intention of doing.

Only problem is Skye can’t reach anybody besides Tony, and that’s only because he received her distress call and fished her out of the ocean. Cell service is down between agents, neither Nat nor Steve are answering the private secure line the Avengers have in place for emergencies just like this one, Skye refuses to think there’s a reason behind that. Either they’re dead or they somehow think the family they created truly believes Hydra’s lies, but Quake knows better and so should they.

Even if Natasha and Steve were criminals and committed terrible acts Skye would still join and defend them no matter what and they’d do the same for her, that’s what family does. If she doesn’t hear from them soon she’s just going to take back the Triskelion by herself, they probably have a plan for that but if communications are lacking what choice does she have? Quake isn’t going to stand by and let Hydra take over the world, not after the things they’ve done and what she’s learned about them.

After she woke in Stark Tower from passing out from the blast from the ship, Tony and Pepper lingered worriedly at her bedside and told her the truth about what really happened when she was eighteen. Whitehall wasn’t just a psychotic asshole with an evil god complex, he was a high up member of Hydra who wanted to use her as a weapon for himself and for whenever Shield fell, they’d been planning this attack for decades. 

Not only did Hydra kidnap her and murder her friends and family at the time, they also are responsible for her parent’s deaths, Whitehall butchered her mother and then murdered her father, waited patiently until she was eighteen and vulnerable, then made her Inhuman. He just didn’t count on Shield intervening, nor did he foresee Skye slaughtering him, or the Black Widow killing everyone else in the lab where Quake was made. 

One drunken night and two breakdowns later, Skye stands in the middle of the living room of her apartment, the patio doors open letting the winter air in, and just stares. Because everything looks the same even though it feels as if the world is ending, like she just walked out the door and had every intention of returning the following night like Hydra didn’t try to kill her a second time. Her leather jacket is still draped across the back of the couch, laptop and Stark tablet still rest on the coffee table.

Pictures in frames of her and the Avengers over the years still sit peacefully in their glass casings, there’s food in the fridge and clean dishes on the counter waiting to be put up. Folded laundry still sits on her bed, a case of beer on the kitchen floor that she meant to put away, two energy drinks on her nightstand that she forgot to throw away. Everything is exactly the way she left it, yet everything has changed just shy of two days.

There really is no reason for her to be here, everything she needs is at Stark Tower, it’s dangerous being out in the open like this when Hydra, the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security are after her, but she had to get here in case Hydra trashed her place already, they haven’t yet. While no one can unlock the front or back doors without a code, they could always blast them open if they were desperate, and judging by the research both Stark and Skye did, Hydra hates her. 

The feeling is mutual. 

Grabbing the leather jacket and putting it on, Skye stuffs the picture frames in the bag across her shoulders, gathers every laptop, tablet and flash drive in the apartment and puts them in as well. Then she deletes the footage of herself and others on every single camera in this building over the past two years she’s lived here. She does not linger on the images of Ward or Nat walking into the apartment because if she goes down that road again it’ll end in sobbing, and she can’t afford that right now.

Heading into the bathroom she grabs the remaining guns, ammo and knives and stores them in the bag as well, not needing any of it since there’s a gun strapped to her right hip and one at her left thigh, a knife in her boot and one in the pocket of her jacket. Goes into the closet to grab the spare first aid kit on the top shelf, opens the door and freezes, because there between a silk blouse Pepper bought for her and a pair of dark jeans, lies one of Ward’s black Henley’s. 

She doesn’t remember him hanging it up or even suggesting he had closet space but it makes sense because he was here more than his own apartment. Swallowing a lump in her throat Skye reaches up and fingers the buttons, thinks about how many times she peeled this off him or rested her head against his chest, heard his heart beat as it soothed her to sleep. Ward hasn’t been in contact either, isn’t answering his phone no matter how many times she’s called.

The last image she has of him is grainy footage she managed to get from the Triskelion cameras before it all went dark, Ward getting up from his desk and running out of the room, no one has seen or heard from him since. Paris seems like a lifetime ago already, how he looked under the glowing lights of the Eiffel Tower when he confessed to her with a bleeding heart and scars that he wasn’t a good man. She can still feel his shaking hands against her back when he confessed that, how he truly believed it with his entire soul.

Skye fought the urge to cry for him, for the life he’s led that probably started off terrible, she could see how the things he’s done in the name of Shield ate at him, the blood on his hands stained his skin and no matter how hard he washed them, it’d always be there. Skye can relate of course, because they’ve always been two sides of the same coin, so she told him a truth she’d known for what felt like an eternity, he’s a good man.

Everything he did he did because he believed in Shield, in the cause, what could possibly be so bad about that? Skye knows of course that even though you do a good thing, it has consequences, especially if it results in murder, that stays with you forever. Even if you tell yourself the person would cause more chaos alive than dead, it’s still ending someone’s heartbeat, that’s someone’s child, bother, mother and father, it’s hard to justify. 

So Skye can see why he’d come to that conclusion and she was quick to reassure him, though he more than likely didn’t believe it, it had to be said. He had to hear that someone in the world saw him in a different light, that he isn’t this awful human being who doesn’t deserve anything good. In that moment when Ward looked at her with wide eyes because she’s sure no one had ever told him that before, it’s like she fell in love with him all over again.

Telling him she loved him in that hotel room in Paris was one of the most terrifying things she’s ever done, she’s never exposed herself like that to another person before, but she couldn’t let them keep breathing without him knowing. It spilled out all over her lungs like it would drown her if she didn’t speak the words, Skye didn’t expect him to say it back, in fact that was the last thing on her mind. She just had to say it and he needed to know that someone out there loved him.

Hearing him say _I love you_ was both something old and brand new, like a warm coat on a winter’s day that wasn’t hers, but felt like it all the same. He’s told her this in that other lifetime, but in this reality as it poured from his lips Skye nearly wept from the weight of it. After everything she’s done somebody saw the darkness in her bones and didn’t run away, they embraced her demons and loved her despite them.

It’s a different kind of love from what the Avengers have for her of course, Ward has always been able to see right through her and she wouldn’t change him for the world. If he’s still out there that is, the thought that he could be dead after just having found him, has Skye ripping the shirt off the hanger and clutching it tightly to her chest. She’s not expecting his scent to hit her, assumed it would smell like the laundry detergent he uses, but the cologne he always wears fills her nose and she breaks.

That carefully constructed wall of ignorance she built after crying in her personal bathroom at Stark Tower, comes tumbling down at the thought of three people she loves being dead. That she’ll never see them again, never hear Steve’s laugh or see Ward’s smile, feel his arms hold her close as they fall asleep. And Natasha, Skye has no idea how she’d survive without Natasha, she has no idea who she is without the woman who saved her, who gave her a second chance when everyone else would have her dead.

Sitting on her bed that Ward slept in a few days ago, Skye sobs into his shirt and prays to every god she’s heard of that he’s still breathing, that they all are. Even though it’s futile, near impossible because Hydra attacked without warning, catching Shield and its best and most lethal agents off guard, they never stood a chance. If Skye wasn’t Inhuman there’s no way she would have made it off that ship alive, Quake was their main target against eighty Hydra agents, the odds were stacked against her. 

Imagining that many people against Steve and Nat and Ward by himself, the outcome of their chests still rising and falling are slim, hoping that they will return to her is stupid and unlikely. But she can’t not wish for it, because the alternative is accepting their deaths and that’s something she can’t do, besides unless she sees their bodies and buries them herself, there’s still a small piece of a possible happy ending.

Sitting there amongst cold sheets that were once filled with someone she loves, Skye keeps her bruised and bloodied face in the dark material of Ward’s shirt and prays and prays until the creak of a floorboard sounds. The heartbeat in her palms is a familiar one not that she’d need it anyway, because she didn’t come to this apartment alone, Skye looks up and meets Tony Stark’s concerned gaze. Without a word or judgement he sits next to her on the mattress and wraps an arm around her shoulders. 

Resting her head against his bicep she wipes her eyes, her voice hoarse when she asks, ‘’what if they’re dead Tony?’’

‘’We don’t know that for sure Cupcake’’.

‘’I don’t know how to live without Nat, I don’t know who I am without her’’.

Stark holds her closer, ‘’this is Natasha we’re talking about, she has nine lives, I’m sure she’s perfectly fine’’.

There’s a long pause before he follows up with, ‘’but if she’s not we both know what she’d want for you’’.

Natasha would tell her to keep going, keep fighting, and Skye would hate her for it. 

Because the thought of existing without Natasha Romanoff puts a deep pain in her chest like a never ending knife, stabbing her over and over again.

‘’I can’t do it Tony, I can’t be in world that she’s not in’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Why does everyone I love end up dying?’’

Blindly kicking her foot out, her boot connects with a throw pillow on the floor and it flies into the wall.

‘’Skye just because we have no idea where Steve or Nat are does not mean they’re dead, jumping to conclusions isn’t helping Cupcake. Am I worried? Of course, but we don’t know anything yet’’.

Chuckling without humor and full of dark irony Skye says, ‘’I told Ward I loved him and less than two days later he could be dead. What kind of bullshit is that?’’

Tony sighs, ‘’I owe Barton fifty bucks now, thanks for that’’.

‘’Now is not the time Dad’’.

Stark kisses her forehead, ‘’Both Ward and Nat are deadly and highly trained assassins, if anyone can survive this situation it’s them’’.

Skye doesn’t reply for a long time and when she does it breaks Tony’s heart, ‘’I think there’s something wrong with me’’.

‘’There is absolutely nothing wrong with you Skye’’.

‘’Hydra murdered my friends and family then locked me in a lab, turned me into this’’.

She gestures to herself, ‘’why? Because my mother was Inhuman, because I deserved it? Now half my family could be dead all over again and the only man I’ve ever loved probably is too’’.

‘’You didn’t deserve it Skye, you were just a kid’’.

Quake looks up at him with sad eyes, ‘’so why’d they do it?’’

‘’I don’t know Cupcake’’.

Sniffling she replies, ‘’I’m going to ask, whether I hear from Nat and Steve or not’’.

There’s another thing crawling its way up her throat, past the grief and sorrow, something she knows oh so well; revenge. 

Tony is about to respond when both their phones beep, an alert that someone has reached her floor, her hallway. Glancing at the screen Skye sees a team of operatives armed to the teeth in weapons, Kevlar vests and protective glasses for their eyes, there’s also a another group of men scaling up the side of the building headed for the patio doors and windows. It’s still early in the morning no one will be awake to see this, though they might hear when a fight inevitably breaks out.

Tony taps an invisible button on the back of his palm and his Iron Man suit appears, spreading out across his body in shades of gold and red. It’s an unspoken agreement that they’ll fight back to back of course, Skye heads for the patio while Stark goes for the front door, she’s leaning against the wall for a surprise attack when Tony calls, ‘’oh that reminds me I made you a suit’’. Skye grins despite the current circumstances, she’s wanted one for a long time.

She hasn’t seen in yet but already knows what it will look like on account of her other half wearing one in that parallel universe. Midnight black and bulletproof material, silver gauntlets on her wrists, hidden compartments and pockets for various weapons and combat boots. Just when she thought she couldn’t love Stark more or her Inhuman status, this happens. ‘’I’m getting my hands on it as soon as we leave here’’. She tells Tony who winks just as a body appears on the balcony.

For the next ten minutes it’s a flurry of dodging punches and delivering blows, kicking people into walls and being thrown into them, it’s nails scratching skin, splitting open lips and breaking bones. Skye is sweating, bleeding and breathing hard, but she doesn’t stop, doesn’t feel pain or sadness, just adrenaline and the drive to survive, to beat them. The last man standing is currently in her bathroom and they’re facing off, he’s by the shower and she’s by the door.

Ward’s shampoo is still where he left it on the shelf, his toothbrush sitting right beside hers in its holder, so many memories that she doesn’t want to face alone. The man points a gun at her chest and Skye scoffs, ‘’you assholes have to know by now that those don’t work on me’’. But he fires anyway like a moron and she holds out a hand, the bullet flies right back at him while simultaneously tossing him into the shower wall, the tile cracks on impact and because her powers. 

Ignoring her injuries from the attack on the ship and the fresh ones she’s received today, Skye wastes no time in grabbing the enemy from the floor and shoving him into the counter. Holds his face and smashes it into the mirror, shattering the glass as she rams an elbow into his throat before breaking his ribs. While he’s distracted from the pain she goes for the kill, uses the knife from her jacket to neutralize the threat, then all is quiet. 

Leaves the room after packing up Ward’s shirt in her bag, Skye finds Tony in the living room free of injuries, sipping a glass of water like he didn’t just take out fifteen men by himself. ‘’So how’s your day going?’’ They laugh like everything is right in the world and their friends might not be dead.

Later at Stark Tower after patching up her injures and replacing gauze on old wounds, showering and falling in love with her Quake suit, Skye stands in the living room in front of Pepper, Tony and Rhodey, who all fix her with disapproving glares. She’s going to find Nat and Steve and after video surveillance and research Skye has a feeling she knows where they went if they’re alive, Tony wants to go with her and everyone here is concerned with her safety like she’s not the most powerful person on the planet.

‘’I’m going with you’’.

‘’You need to stay here’’.

Tony crosses his arms, ‘’I’m sorry did we reach a point in our relationship where you tell me what to do? Must have missed that’’.

‘’I can find Nat on my own, we need you here in case Hydra decides to attack, you’re the only Avenger in New York’’.

‘’Barton is on his way’’.

Rhodey chimes in.

‘’See? You’ll have Clint, I’ll be fine Dad’’.

‘’Excuse me the world is on fire, nothing about this is fine, I’m allowed to be worried about you’’.

‘’I can take care of myself’’.

Pepper puts a soothing hand on Stark’s shoulder but the panic doesn’t leave his face, ‘’every government agency and law enforcement is looking for you, what if you get arrested?’’

‘’Then you can break me out of jail’’.

‘’Not funny’’.

‘’Not joking, relax they’d have to catch me first and that’s not going to happen’’.

‘’What if Hydra captures you?’’

‘’Not going to happen, and if it does just follow the tracking device you put in my heart monitor’’.

She gestures towards the device she never takes off strapped to her wrist.

‘’I don’t like this Skye, you shouldn’t be alone’’.

‘’I won’t be alone for long, and once I get to Nat everything will be fine’’.

Knowing she’s not going to budge Stark sighs dramatically before walking over and pulling her into a hug.

‘’Please be careful’’.

He mutters against her hair, Skye closes her eyes and holds him close, grateful that he’s in one piece right here in front of her, not missing or out there in pain all alone.

‘’Thanks for my suit, I love it’’.

‘’You’re welcome’’.

He clutches her tighter for one second longer then releases her, ‘’don’t do anything stupid’’.

She shrugs, ‘’it’s me, no promises’’.

‘’I can’t lose you Skye’’.

‘’I’ll be fine, I promise. I’m going to bring Nat and Steve home and we’ll figure everything out then’’.

With one final hug to Tony, Pepper and Rhodey, Skye sets off, pushes past the pain in her chest at all she has to lose.

Several hours later she pulls up to a house in Washington and knocks on the door to reveal Sam Wilson, a gun at his side she’s not supposed to see. Skye offers an innocent smile and says, ‘’heard you might have something that belongs to me’’. Before he can respond Nat appears with her red hair and Skye shoves past him and runs into her arms, cries in relief in her shoulder because her person is alive, even if everyone she knows is dead but Nat is still here, Skye could survive it, she could survive anything.

When they break apart Nat frowns at the bruises all over Skye’s face, the cuts on her lip and cheek, the black eye, ‘’you look terrible’’.

‘’I look so much better than you’’.

A light dusting of bruises mark the Black Widow’s face who smiles sadly, ‘’sorry I couldn’t call’’.

‘’Don’t ever do that to me again’’.

‘’Everyone was trying to kill us’’.

A new voice says and Skye looks up into a pale brown doorway to find Steve Rogers leaning against it, smiling at her.

Skye leaps into his arms and he spins her around, ‘’knew you’d find us’’.

After catching up over beers and informing Skye of the Winter Solider who just so happens to be Steve’s old best friend, they tell her about the plan to attack the Triskelion the next day.

‘’As long as I get to kill Hydra agents I don’t care where we go’’.

Nat laces their fingers together as they sit side by side at Sam’s kitchen table, having already been informed on Skye’s parents and what Hydra did to them.

‘’Any word from Ward?’’

Steve asks and Skye’s eyes immediately fill with tears, Nat shoots him a dark look.

‘’The last time I saw him was at the Triskelion’’.

‘’We’ll find him Skye, I promise, we don’t leave a man behind’’.

Steve vows and Skye wonders if they’re going to actually find him, or a body.

It takes ten hours to enact their plan, execute and finish it, and it doesn’t end in a way anyone prepared for. Turns out Nick Fury is indeed still alive, Alexander Pierce is the Director of Hydra, and the Winter Solider has been brain washed and tortured by Hydra for decades. Skye’s job was to be the muscle and she executed it perfectly, took down every Hydra agent in her path at the Triskelion, helped the Shield agents on their side to defeat them.

She and Sharon Carter or Agent 33, fought side by side for most of it, saving the world for Quake is just another Tuesday. Unfortunately there were no signs of Ward and after the Winter Solider disappeared and Steve was safe in a hospital as a result, Skye went back to the newly liberated Triskelion to look for him one more time. But there was nothing, no trace, like he simply disappeared. So now she’s back at Stark Tower after spending all night at Steve’s bedside, he ordered her to get some sleep.

Tony and Pepper are down in the lab with Barton, New York wasn’t hit as heavy with Hydra as Washington was, but there’s still a long road ahead. All of Shield’s secrets were spilled via the internet thanks to Nat, so now everyone knows about both secret government agencies along with its agents. Which means the entire world knows who Quake is and the things she’s done, she hasn’t even had time to think about that yet.

Every part of her body aches, her hands hurt, knuckles have been split open and scabbed, ripped open again, fingers broken and set, her blood has been spilled onto so many floors, she needs to sleep for three days straight. Each inch of her skin is covered in bruises and cuts, her right wrist in a brace, her ankles and knees sore, but she can’t rest until the last person she loves is safe; Ward. Missing him and being worried comes and goes in waves, and right now she can hardly breathe under the weight of it.

Tony comes up and says someone is out front and cameras reveal that it’s Phil Coulson and his team, she doesn’t see Ward among them. Heart in her throat Tony lets them up and when the elevator doors open, Coulson, May, Maria Hill, Fitzsimmons and Trip exit out, it’s clear Grant isn’t with them. Arm around her shoulder Tony holds most of her weight because her knees nearly give out, if Ward isn’t with them and he’s clearly not with her, where else could he be? Why hasn’t he called?

Fitzsimmons smile in relief as they hug her, Trip holds her close next and asks how she’s doing, even Coulson gives her a side hug and says he’s glad she’s alright. May silently sits on the couch with Hill and Skye asks if anyone has heard from Ward. 

They all shake their heads and tell her the same thing she’s known; no one has seen him since the Triskelion. But Hill reveals new information they didn’t know before, John Garrett seems to be missing as well, and Victoria Hand is dead. A gnawing at Skye’s brain whispers that there’s a connection there, but Garrett and Hand are not on her list of priorities right now. Skye heads to the kitchen where Simmons is making tea, and sits on the counter next to her.

‘’I can’t imagine Ward isn’t alright, perhaps he just can’t call right now’’.

Skye leans her head against the counters and closes her eyes, ‘’knowing my luck he’s probably dead in a ditch somewhere’’.

Simmons winces, ‘’this is Agent Ward we’re talking about he’’-

‘’He’s not invincible Simmons’’.

Skye snaps and immediately regrets it, ‘’sorry, I’m just on edge’’.

‘’That’s understandable, it’s alright’’.

‘’Nothing about this alright’’.

‘’You’re right, no one saw this coming, I can’t, I can’t believe it’s gone’’.

‘’Shield isn’t gone’’.

Both women look up to find Coulson standing there with a determined look on his face.

‘’Shield isn’t a building, it’s people, it’s’’-

‘’Oh my god I cannot listen to your hero monologue right now Phil, save it for Steve when he gets back’’.

At his silence Trip claps him on the shoulder and Skye is about to comment on how pretty he looks even with the bruises, when her phone rings. 

Thinking it’s Sam or Nat she answers without looking at the caller I.D. 

‘’What?’’

But the rough voice that replies isn’t her mentor, ‘’hey sweetheart’’.

The air falls from her lungs, relief enters her bones so quickly she nearly falls off the counter, ‘’oh my god Ward’’.

The people in the kitchen blur then vanish altogether and the world closes in on only one point, his voice on the other line.

She clutches the phone tightly like she can force him to appear in front of her.

‘’Are you okay? Where are you?’’

There’s a shuffle on his end, ‘’on my way to you’’.

‘’Where the hell have you been? I’ve been so worried, you couldn’t call me back at least once?’’

‘’The world kind of ended, couldn’t exactly get ahold of you, I’m sorry, are you alright?’’

‘’Better now’’.

He sighs, his tone softer, ‘’me too’’.

‘’Are you hurt?’’

‘’Nothing too bad, you?’’

‘’Same, I need to see you, can we meet somewhere?’’

‘’I was just about to ask that, if I send you the coordinates to a hotel can you make it there?’’

She doesn’t even think about why he didn’t volunteer to come to Stark Tower, she should have.

‘’Yeah of course’’.

He tells her where and then says he’ll see her soon.

‘’Be careful’’.

‘’You too’’.

‘’I love you’’.

Skye closes her eyes and lets that ground her, helps her get through the last couple days. 

‘’I love you too’’.

After a rushed goodbye to the Avengers and everyone else, Skye quickly packs a bag and takes one of Tony’s cars, unaware that the man she loves isn’t who he says he is. 

The love she knows, the one she feels deep in her bones, is the only real thing about him.


	20. It's Funny How the Warning Signs Can Feel Like They're Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward bask in stolen time together that they cannot afford, and Natasha Romanoff finds out the truth of who Ward really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adored the flashback in this chapter, and honestly it's like the only happiness that occurs for a while. 
> 
> This one made me sad.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

It ends like this; shattered hopes for a future that never existed in the first place, blood underneath the pale glass of a love that was so fragile, so new, it didn’t stand a chance against a graveyard of secrets and lies that refused to stay buried. Bruises underneath skin that was once touched with reverence, adoration, sweat still lingered from the previous hour where flesh met flesh and everything seemed perfect and right, like fate was still controlled and safe in their hands.

Where once was love now there is only pain and salt water on cheeks that lips had just brushed across, but those lips are haunted, they belong to someone who was never real at all, that’s why a broken heart lies in her chest and regret and sorrow rests in his. The love that was born out of trust and blood now lies in pieces on a hotel floor, gasoline soaked tatters and she’s the one holding the match while he is desperately trying to put out the flames. 

Sharp pleasure and warm sheets turn cold, soft fingers drifting over bare skin turn into claws, and sweet words that slipped past teeth now bite and sting, aiming to spill scarlet all over the carpet. Because there’s no brutality justified enough for this, nothing could heal the knife in her chest, the bullet in her spine, the amount of arrow lodged into her stomach, there can’t be any pain similar to the one she’s in right now, it can’t exist in the history of the world.

Betrayal is a funny, violent thing. It destroys every touch, every whispered word in the dark, every smile buried in your neck, each laugh and absentminded hand placed on your thigh. It grabs what you knew by the hand and breaks it’s bones, drains the life from your skin and watches as it pours out onto the ground until you’ve got nothing left. Then it laughs because you were stupid enough to believe it, you stared in its face and said _I love you,_ and it never felt the same. 

It ends just as it began; two strangers staring across a vacant room wide eyed and oblivious. Only this time one is holding a gun and the other a knife, both pointing the weapons at one another their breathing labored, but the truth remains the same; They do not know each other, they’ve never actually met before, he’s a ghost this man in front of her, and she has no idea who he is or what he wants. Unlike last time there are no smiles or husky laughter here, no hands sliding up knees or fingers on hips.

This time there is only his lies that taste bitter on her tongue, and her hatred and anger that lash across his skin like a wound, and he takes it because he truly believes he deserves it. And she has no idea the steps that brought him here to this hotel room, the bodies that were not his fault, the broken noses and ribs he’s suffered at the hands of a man who he thinks saved him. Right now it’s all black and white but there’s a gray area that makes up his lungs.

She just can’t see it yet and he doesn’t understand that the messed up kid he used to be was brain washed into this life, not that it’s any excuse for his behavior. There’s nothing here but pain and both Skye and Ward are going to choke on it. 

The end begins now.

*

Ice cold whiskey and split knuckles, two leather jackets tossed onto a nearby arm chair, a plaid shirt with the buttons scattered on the floor rests beside the mattress. Boots, socks, jeans and a purple bra are all strewn across the hotel floor, the sheets and comforter hanging off the bed, pillows lying in disarray beside the nightstand. The lights are dimmed low, the curtains tightly sealed, the door locked and bolted, bathroom door still open from their earlier shower, the tile still damp.

Skye dozes across Ward’s chest her hands shaping his collarbones as his fingers drift up and down her spine. The room is cold but she can’t feel it, enveloped in Ward’s warmth as he kisses her hair, and she’s grateful, so grateful that he’s alive and so is everyone else she loves. But he didn’t make it out of Shield unscathed, bruises spill across his skin just like hers, a wound on his leg has been cleaned and patched up, there’s a harsh looking cut on his left cheekbone that even made her wince earlier.

Eyes closed she drags her fingers up his chin to stroke the stubble on his face, it’s new but not, familiar yet fresh, this is the Ward she knows. Younger than the one she sees in her dreams but it’s still him, still the same arms that hold her close and make her feel safe, this is the same man she’s been in love with for what feels like forever. And in the midst of this terrible tragedy with Hydra destroying Shield, all she’s wanted since the truth was revealed was to be right here. 

Curled in his embrace as he kisses her forehead, her eyelids, and whispers once more how relieved he is that she’s okay. When she first walked into this room a couple hours ago Ward took one look at her fresh war zoned skin and frowned, immediately cupped her face so gently and asked if she was alright, his answer was her taking her clothes off and walking into the bathroom. 

The hot water of the shower flowed across tender wounds as Skye and Ward ran their hands down each other’s shoulders, traced patterns with shaking fingers across ribs and every single inch of skin that was painted black and blue. Hushed _I love you_ and _I’m so happy you’re okay, here with me_ were breathed into ears with shaky inhales, hands drifted down hips and cupped the backs of knees, worshipping and reveling in the joy that the one they love survived.

Grant kisses the tip of her finger as it lingers on his lips, causing her to smile and she doesn’t have to open her eyes to know his gaze is fixed on her.

‘’You’re staring’’.

‘’Am I not allowed to do that?’’

‘’You can do whatever you want’’.

At the way he perks up she taps his chin, ‘’after I sleep’’.

She tries for an hour to drift but her mind is too loud, the days events refuse to remain silent.

Ward, seeing this, adjusts their positions and asks, ‘’do you want to talk about it?’’

‘’Shouldn’t I be asking you that?’’

Grant is the one who is loyal to Shield, it’s never been her.

At his deep sigh she glances up to find him staring at the ceiling, ‘’I don’t even know what to say’’.

‘’You don’t have to say anything ,we can watch a movie or something’’.

There’s a small bit of pain behind his eyelids and Skye switches the subject, ‘’you know I should kick your ass’’.

This gets amusement in those whiskey eyes, ‘’why?’’

‘’You could have called me back at least once, do you have any idea how worried I was?’’

She understands why he couldn’t but still, she was sick with panic for days thinking he was dead or injured all alone somewhere.

An apology in the form of a soft kiss against her lips, ‘’I’m sorry, I was worried about you too’’.

‘’You shouldn’t have been, I’m clearly fine’’.

‘’Took on an entire fleet by yourself’’.

‘’I don’t know why you sound surprised’’.

There’s shining pride in his face as he kisses her, ‘’not surprised, impressed’’.

‘’Nearly drowning and the risk of getting eaten by sharks was a concern though’’.

She briefly summarized what happened to her when Shield fell when they were in the shower.

Grant cups her cheek with one hand, the other carefully wrapped around her shoulders, ‘’I’m sorry you had to go through that alone, I should have been there’’.

Not because he believes she needs his protection but because they’re partners, and when Shield crashed and burned they should have gone through it together.

Fought Hydra side by side like they did for ten years in that other lifetime.

‘’Next time I see Fury I’m going to slap the shit out of him’’.

‘’You and me both’’.

Ward was at the Triskelion when Hydra revealed themselves and barely managed to escape with his life, after that he hung low with John Garrett and his friend Kebo until he called her.

Skye gently traces the cut on his cheek with soft fingers, ‘’I should have been there for you too, I still don’t understand why Fury and Hill put me on that boat in the first place’’.

She’ll ask when they come to Stark Tower like Nat said they would.

‘’I don’t understand how any of this happened’’.

The pain in his tone, the way his voice breaks at the end has Skye pressing him into her chest, holding him close and kissing the top of his head.

‘’I don’t know, maybe the only thing we can do is avenge those who died’’.

They both know Skye will seek revenge for what happened, even if they never get an answer to these questions.

She hasn’t told him about her parents yet, or that it was Hydra who made her Inhuman.

Leaning against the headboard with Grant lying on her chest, Skye runs her hands through is hair as he silently absorbs their situation.

‘’What if we don’t go back?’’

He asks suddenly, head titled away from her.

‘’What do you mean?’’

Lifting slightly, Ward looks up at her his chest pressed into hers, hands on her hips.

‘’What if we just left? Caught a flight to some island no one’s ever been before ‘’.

‘’Who are you and what have you done with Grant Ward?’’

He plants a kiss against her ribs, ‘’think about it, you and me on a beach somewhere’’.

Grant lists off this ridiculous fantasy and for a moment Skye can picture it, drinks in hand lying naked in the sand, the only worries being sunburned skin and too much alcohol. It’s nice, she can almost feel the sun on her face and the water on her skin, hear the seagulls calling, can see Ward gloriously shirtless in the middle of the afternoon, the ocean behind him and a smile on his face, they’d be happy, free, away from all this madness. 

But that’s just it, it’s only a fantasy and their reality wouldn’t let them escape anywhere. 

Sadly Skye lets the image go and runs her hand along the back of his neck, ‘’come on is that really what you want? You’d hate me after two weeks’’.

Though there was humor in her voice there is none in his when he replies, ‘’what I want is to stay here with you and imagine the world outside doesn’t exist’’.

Skye is rendered speechless, having no idea how to respond so she kisses him instead.

Because that is what she wants too, all she ever wants is Ward in her arms.

Everything else should work itself out.

She falls asleep listening to him breathe and is pulled into a flashback.

_Pink lemonade on ice, Skye’s glass is spiked with champagne, the summer air warm as birds sing, dragonflies and honeybees dancing in the flower filled meadow. Sun is shining brightly against the trees as Ward adjusts the blanket underneath their bodies, shielding their skin from the grass and rocks below. Skye stares up at the clouds as Grant cups her bare thigh before dragging his fingers slowly up her leg, slipping underneath the black shorts she’s wearing._

_Their home lies a few feet away, Montana is beautiful in the summer and Ward thought it’d be a good idea to spend the day outside._

_‘’You’re going to melt out here in that shirt’’._

_He comments again, nodding to his plaid button down over her shoulders, it’s a pale red and black, so soft from the washer and over use, it’s her favorite of his._

_She taps his wrist that’s resting against her stomach, ‘’I could always take it off’’._

_‘’Feel free’’._

_‘’You just want me for my body’’._

_She teases watching the smile stretch across his face before it turns serious._

_‘’You know that’s not all I’’-_

_‘’Grant we’re married, I know you didn’t just put this ring on my finger because of my mad skills in bed’’._

_He glances over to her now and kisses her forehead, it’s rare he needs reassurance on their relationship anymore since they’re married for god sake, but he has his moments. And she’s always happy to remind him of who she chose to love. Rolling over so she’s plastered against his chest, Skye braces both arms on either side of his head, his hands gliding up her hips, those whiskey eyes smoldering, cheekbones sharp and alert._

_‘’You have my heart’’._

_She says and they both know it’s the same for him, has been for nearly ten years now._

_Against the sunshine and the bright green grass he looks so happy, he deserves to stay that way for the rest of his life._

_Smiling and shifting her hair away from her eyes he responds, ‘’a lifetime with you isn’t enough, I need more time’’._

_‘’Doubt you’ll be saying that when we’re eighty years old and fighting over the TV remote’’._

_‘’Even then’’._

_‘’You’ll get sick of me just wait’’._

_There’s a small bit of insecurity in that line, left over from a childhood filled with foster parents who didn’t want her._

_Grant, knowing this, rests a hand against the small of her back, the other holding the nape of her neck._

_‘’That’s never going to happen, I promise you’’._

_The absolution in his tone, the fierceness of his gaze and her faith in him, in their relationship, of course she believes him._

_She always has._

_‘’I’m going to hold you to that’’._

_Angling his face up, his lips against her own, Ward replies, ‘’looking forward to it’’._

_An hour later, buzzed from the champagne, Ward’s idea to have a picnic in the meadow is working out for him, because Skye has peeled off his shirt and is dozing atop his chest in just shorts, his fingers drawing shapes and patterns on her bare back. There’s a dream hovering at the edge of her eyelids of a bright blue ocean filled with neon colored fish, she’s about to fall asleep when Ward speaks up, startling her fully awake because of the context._

_‘’Why do you think I’m a decent person?’’_

_The question takes her by surprise, the last time they had a similar conversation to this was years ago in a hotel room, when they first started working together and weren’t even a couple yet. He was still full guilt back then, the ghosts of his past choking him at night, he confessed he wasn’t worthy of redemption and Skye was quick to reassure him he was. It took years for him to reach the point he is now, so much blood and tears shed so he felt worthy._

_Wondering if he’s having doubts or just curious, Skye shifts up to stare at him, seeing a few shadows in his eyes as he stares at the clouds. Skye has never been shy on her opinion of what kind of person Grant is, and she will attack anyone who says otherwise, defending him no matter what. Stroking his cheekbones she reads his body language which is relaxed beneath her but there’s a small bit of tension in his shoulders._

_‘’I know you’re not fishing for a compliment so why did you ask me that?’’_

_Sighing heavily his hands stroking restlessly up and down her spine he responds, ‘’sometimes the voices in my head get to me, tell me I don’t deserve any of this’’._

_Skye can relate, and knows that the abuse and trauma inflicted upon Ward will never truly go away, but therapy and the passing of time has done wonders to heal him._

_He’s in a better place now, but moments like these can flare up at the most unexpected times._

_‘’They’re wrong, please remember that they’re wrong’’._

_‘’I know they are’’._

_‘’You deserve to be happy Ward, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying’’._

_One hand is in her hair now, strokes her scalp, ‘’I know’’._

_Just in case he doesn’t believe her or the voices in his brain are screaming too loud to hear anything else, Skye sits up, knees straddling either side of his hips._

_Clutches his face so he can see her expression, read the seriousness in her eyes when she says, ‘’I know who you are Grant Ward, and you’re good’’._

_Those amber eyes go wide as tears fill them lightly, his hands shake against her skin, then acceptance fills him as he nods._

_Kisses her fiercely, gratefully, tells her he loves her in between each inhale._

_‘’You’re a good man Grant Ward, if you never believe anything else I’ve said to you, believe that’’._

_‘’I do’’._

_There was a time he would have never been able to say that, couldn’t even stand to look at himself in the mirror._

_Skye is glad that’s not the case anymore._

_‘’You’ve had my heart since the moment we met’’._

_Grant says when she’s lying against him once more and they’re both looking up at the blue sky._

_Smiling and squeezing the arms that are wrapped around her she replies, ‘’I know’’._

_Throughout the terrors they both have seen and experienced in this world, that’s the one thing they’ve always been so sure about, the only thing that matters._

Skye wakes up to the dark hotel room and is disorientated for a long moment, her body half in the dream and half here, she can still feel the sun on her face, smell the flowers in the meadow and taste the champagne on her tongue. Panic licks its way up her spine because it feels like she’s supposed to be there, not here, as if she and Ward belong in that universe and accidentally ended up here. Before it can consume her warm worried hands rest atop her shoulders and squeeze.

Grant grounds her to this moment, this place, and she takes a deep breath to remember where she is and who they are, the dream slowly stops clinging to her brain before disappearing altogether and Ward is still there holding her. He’s got her propped up against the headboard, arms wrapped around her from behind, Skye sinks into his embrace that has always felt safe as he asks if it was a nightmare or a flashback. 

She tells him the context and he’s silent for so long that their roles switch, she becomes concerned while he’s silently brooding, arms still around her. Knowing they’re not going to be able to go back to sleep she switches on the television, they watch a nature documentary until Skye decides to grab snacks from the vending machine by the pool. Ward offers to go instead but she needs to walk around, get fresh air, even at the risk of someone spotting her. 

Slipping on his gray Henley and a pair of sweat pants, sunglasses and one of Steve’s baseball caps, she’s on her way out when Ward calls her back. Looking over at him on the hotel bed, legs twisted in the sheets, still naked and looking at her like she hung the sun and all the planets in the sky, he sends her a half smile and says, ‘’I love you’’. Walking over and setting a hand on his shoulder, she responds, ‘’I love you too’’. Before kissing him lightly and leaving the room, locking the door once she’s outside.

Since the hotel is outside the vending machine isn’t hard to find, she passes the closed pool and ice machine, locates the machine filled with chips and gum. Beneath the pink neon glow of the glass and the faded buttons that stick whenever you press too hard, Skye thrusts her thumb against _G5_ and watches as Cheetos she selected gets stuck. Inserting another dollar in she tries with a different set of chips and the result is the same.

Annoyed when it happens three more times, she flexes her fingers and the glass holding her reflection tinted in shades of rose, shatters, the ground rumbles for one second before calming and she ducks into the machine. Grabs candy bars, gum, bags of gummy worms, crackers and other various sweets Grant won’t eat but she will. Stuffing the items in the pockets of her leather jacket, she’s balancing her phone in her hand when it starts vibrating multiple times. 

Once the food is settled and both hands are free, Skye unlocks the screen and sees the three text messages in a row are from Nat, and the very first one nearly makes her drop the device altogether. Three words stick out against the white backdrop, and though the letters are black they look red, red like blood as it drips on a floor. 

_Ward is Hydra._

At first the words do not register, they float inside her brain for one second before they are immediately rejected, because it’s impossible, unheard of, no way in the entire universe is that true, Natasha has to be mistaken. Not Special Agent Grant Ward who would die for Shield at a moment’s notice, not the man who jumped out of a plane to save Simmons, there’s no way in hell that the person who put himself in danger in the name of Shield, who protected them countless times has been a liar this entire time.

It’s implausible, it wouldn’t make sense. How many times has he lectured and scolded her for not taking Shield and their missions seriously? If he wasn’t loyal, why do it? Why do any of the things he’s known for since he joined years ago? Ward is one of the best Shield has ever seen, the best since Natasha Romanoff, a man like that, there’s no way he’d be Hydra. He wouldn’t lie or betray his friends, not Ward, not him, it can’t be him.

She’s about to call Nat to gloat, tell her she’s got the wrong info, the wrong guy, when she reads the second message that says _proof._ Because Romanoff knew she’d need something to back this claim up in order for Skye to believe it, Quake would need to see it with her own eyes because right now she doesn’t believe it. Even though Nat has never led her astray or lied or given false info before, she just can’t absorb any of this yet.

Because what if she’s right?

What if the man waiting for her in their hotel room is a lie?

With shaking hands Skye clicks on the link that Romanoff attached below the text, the screen goes black before static appears, then clears, and Skye realizes she’s looking at the security cameras in the Triskelion. This footage was deleted and the Avengers thought it wouldn’t be able to be recovered, but Tony obviously succeeded. Skye holds her breath as Ward appears in a hallway alone, he looks calm and collected with a gun in his hands. 

At first Skye doesn’t understand what she’s supposed to be looking at because as the Shield agents that turn out to be Hydra appear, Ward takes them out without hesitation or mercy, a sigh of relief fills her because Nat is so obviously wrong and confused, but everything changes when he enters a back room filled with real Shield agents. Eric Koenig, Victoria Hand and several other well-known agents all surround one person; John Garrett, who does not look concerned at all.

There’s no audio but a conversation takes place for several tense minutes and Ward puts his gun back in its holster at one point. Somebody moves to a side door and that must be a cue because the agents holding Garrett start hauling him to it, Hand says something to Koenig and they both glance at Ward, who hasn’t breathed or moved since he walked in here. Hand directs her attention to him, mutters something and slowly Grant grabs his gun and cocks it. 

Points it at Garrett who doesn’t blink, and then quicker than anyone can respond, faster than even Natasha would move, with a flick of the wrist his aim switches and every Shield agent holding onto Garrett falls, perfect execution shots to their heads. Skye gasps along with Victoria Hand, who backs up just as Ward shoots Eric Koenig, and she’s the only other person alive in the room besides Ward himself and Garrett.

Hand’s lips part like she wants to say something but Ward fires the gun and her body slumps to the ground, not missing a beat he walks over and shoots her point blank three more times. He never turns to face the camera as he unlocks the cuffs on John with something sharp that was in his mouth the entire time, he slips the unknown object in his jacket pocket, the same one on their hotel floor right now, as he and Garrett nod at one another and walk out the side door. 

The rest of the footage is something similar, it’s like Ward flipped a switch and every Shield agent he protected minutes before, and the ones he had for years since he joined the organization, have suddenly become the enemy. Bodies drop to floors, scarlet spills across carpets and tile, wide shocked eyes turn to greet him when they realize the person they trusted, or the man they thought would never betray Shield, has turned on them.

The last image of Ward is him getting into a car with John, driver unknown and speeding away, then the cameras go dark, her screen empty and then she reads the third message. _Get out, we’re on our way._ At first Skye can’t feel anything, not the cold winter wind or the shaking of her hands. It’s almost as if the void she’s felt in her chest since she was a child has finally swallowed her up after all these years, dragging her down into dark depths that have no meaning, just emptiness, just darkness.

It’s not true, it can’t be, this isn’t real. This can’t be reality because Ward is good, he’d do anything for her, for their friends, he’s been with Shield for so long and done so much for them, it doesn’t make sense. That’s not the Grant she knows, he was a totally different person, he would never do that. He’d never murder someone for no reason and feel no remorse afterwards, he would never be a part of the organization who slaughtered her friends and family.

It can’t be Ward, it can’t be the man who brings her fresh coffee every morning and makes her favorite breakfast in bed, the one who soothes her nightmares, who thinks his jokes are funny, who can calm the waves in her mind with just a touch of his hand. It can’t be the person who hates basketball and when people chew loudly, who loves pumpkin pancakes and black coffee, the man who hates himself for the lives Shield forced him to take, who scrubs at his hands, his skin so hard in the sink and shower to wipe the blood off, to make himself feel clean.

Not this Ward, not her Ward who hums in the car to the radio, who became everything she’s been looking for in such a short amount of time, who is ticklish behind his ear and loves to watch the sunrise. This can’t be happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t real she’s still dreaming, she has to be dreaming. But the evidence doesn’t lie and neither does Natasha, she wouldn’t tell Skye this unless it was true, unless he’s not the person they thought he was.

It sinks in just a moment later.

He’s a liar, a traitor, nothing about him was ever real at all. Every mission, the paperwork, it was all a façade, Agent Grant Ward doesn’t exist, he probably never has. Which begs the question; who is Grant Ward? What does he want? Who is the man she’s been sleeping with, was any of it real? Each kiss, each touch, when he held her hand and smiled at her, was that all part of some sick plan to pull the wool over her eyes?

Did he and Garrett come up with it? Was he hoping to screw her blind so she’d never find out what he was? When he told her he loved her did he really mean it, or was it all part of the plan? Feeling sick Skye leans against the broken vending machine and puts a shaky hand over her mouth as she lets out a sob, the truth finally peeling back her eyelids so she can see the situation clearly. ‘’He’s Hydra’’, she whispers because the words need to be said aloud, she needs to hear herself say them.

Every wall he broke down with laughter in the middle of the night, pulling her close in the early morning light, each kiss and stroke down her hips, they meant nothing to him, she was just a job, they all were. Coulson, Trip, Fitzsimmons, Maria Hill, the Avengers, everyone was just a pawn to him, Ward never cared about anybody but himself in all of this. It’s hard to reconcile the man who held her while she sobbed with the one she just saw in the camera footage, but that was real and the one in her memory is not.

Moments flash between them in her mind, the first time they met, their first fight, how he kissed her in that bar like he was dying and she saved him. His smile in the sunlight, how he treated her after seeing the panic attack that first time take over, like she wasn’t this broken creature incapable of feeling, for the first time since she was eighteen Ward made her feel human. She opened herself up to him, let him see every ugly and damaged piece of her, every crack and bad dream, every vulnerable fracture. 

And she thought he accepted those terrible things about her, saw the person she was underneath the monster that makes up her skin because he loved her. But he didn’t, he doesn’t, he was just using her to further his own agenda, probably to earn bragging rights among his Nazi peers to prove that he’s really the best that’s ever been, he alone took the most powerful person on the planet and reduced her to crying on a dirty hotel floor.

None of it was real.

He doesn’t love her, he was only using her.

And in the end the man she loves, who held her heart in the palms of his hands never cared about her at all.

The void that swallowed her up minutes before spits her back out in pieces as the pain takes over, the pressure on her chest explodes as she cries into her hands. There isn’t a word for this feeling, this ache in her heart that feels as if he reached inside and pulled it out right in front of her. It’s as if her chest is bleeding out all over this concrete ground and she can’t stop it, and Ward is holding the knife standing above her watching the life fade from her eyes.

Shock passes as sorrow takes over, then acceptance, mourning. Because while it wasn’t real for him it was for her, Grant was, is, her first love despite everything. He dug his way underneath her skin, made a home inside her soul and she let him, let him touch her and whisper promises that weren’t real in the end into her ear, let him see the monster Whitehall made and thought it didn’t faze him. Who knows what he really thinks of her, not that it matters.

The grief and overwhelming sadness is placed off to the side when she remembers who she is, and that Ward is not going to turn her into a heartbroken mess who never gets on their feet again, she’s better than that, better than him. An emotion she’s very familiar with takes over, anger, revenge joins it and they enter her bloodstream like lightning, bringing clarity and fresh understanding with them. She’s Quake, he’s Hydra, a liar and traitor, he used her, and she’s a hell of a lot stronger than him.

Skye wipes her eyes and puts the sunglasses back on, adjusts the hat on her head and stands, mutes her phone that hasn’t stopped vibrating and shoves it in the pocket of her sweatpants. She has three options here; she could leave, grab the car keys from the room and just disappear without a word to him, play him into thinking she has no idea who he is and try to get more info, more understanding on what’s going on, see if she can find his weaknesses and exploit them.

Or she could walk in there and kill him, either before or after she confronts him, either one works. Options two and three are sounding better and better as she walks past the pool and up to their hotel door, she’s just about to slide her key into the lock when her brain begins rebelling against her in a voice that belongs to her but she’s not thinking it. Desperation fills the tone in her head as if to reason against this decision, sweat breaks out on Skye’s forehead at the intensity of the words.

_It’s not his fault._

_It’s not his fault._

_It’s not his fault._

_It’s not his fault._

_It’s not his fault._

_Don’t hurt him he thought he was doing the right thing._

_Don’t hurt him he thought he was doing the right thing._

_Don’t hurt him he thought he was doing the right thing._

_Don’t hurt him he thought he was doing the right thing._

_Don’t hurt him he thought he was doing the right thing._

The thoughts don’t come from her and she has a feeling like all the other subtler times this has happened, it’s that alternate version of herself peeking through. But she doesn’t have time to focus on that or that other universe where they seemed so happy, Skye can’t stomach Ward’s hands on her skin there or here, wonders if he was lying to her in that parallel timeline as well. Shoving the thoughts away she opens the door and makes her decision. 

Ward is lounging on the bed exactly where she left him, only difference is he’s freshly showered but still shirtless, wearing dark jeans and socks, his gun is not on the nightstand though so it must be strapped to his hip. He looks up at her with those whiskey eyes and it’s like staring into a stranger. Warmth fills his gaze but it no longer wraps around her bones like a safe embrace, it’s just cold, a settling numbness in her veins, she doesn’t recognize him or the mask he wears. 

Skye doesn’t know this person or what he’s capable of and this makes her so sad, because she thought she knew his soul, thought she could read him like a fragile complicated book, knew the skeletons and ghosts in the pages just like he knew hers. But the reality is Grant is this brand new body with foreign thoughts and emotions, just like he was when they met in that bar, in all the weeks since nothing has changed at all. 

They’re still strangers and the only difference between now and then is sex, sighs and fingertips between them, she knows how to make him fall apart and he’s intimately familiar on what to do with hands on her thighs. That’s it, all they have in common is the natural way of things between two people who find one another attractive, he doesn’t see her for who she really is, he’s not balancing on a branch with love in his eyes waiting for her to either hold out a hand or kick him off. 

The thought comes that he was pretending to recognize and relate to the darkness in her to draw her in further, he’s probably disgusted by the things she’s done and what she sees in the mirror. That shouldn’t matter, it shouldn’t bother her, but of course it does. Because she thought she found the one person who wouldn’t abandon her like all the rest, she thought the way he looked at her meant something, but in the end it didn’t, it never did.

Closing the door but not locking it, Skye takes a deep breath and turns to face him, he’s standing now and gives her that half smirk she adores as she dumps the snacks on the table. His black go bag is sitting next to hers on the chair and she doesn’t even need to look to know what’s in it; knives, a change of clothes, car keys, wallet, Shield badge to more than likely to keep up appearances, an extra gun and water bottles. All ready to pack up and leave at a moment’s notice, did he have that mentality every time they were together?

What did the past few hours mean to him anyway? Why is he here, why did he call her? Was it one last time to get off before she found out who he was? An itch to scratch in this sad hotel room in the hopes that all the sex would continue to cloud her mind? Taking off the baseball cap and sunglasses Skye pretends to rummage through the snack pile so she can compose her thoughts, thinks about what she’s going to say.

‘’Fritos and Pop-Tarts should sustain us’’.

He teases as he comes up behind and wraps both arms around her, it takes all of Nat’s training not to stiffen in his arms.

His hold no longer feels safe and warm, now it just causes panic and anger to feed and swell.

‘’I thought so’’.

Skye keeps her tone light but there must be an edge to it that he picks up on, or maybe he’s just that good because he pauses and turns her to they’re facing one another.

Those eyes search her face in concern as he asks, ‘’you okay?’’

Lying through her teeth she nods and places both hands on his biceps, ‘’just tired’’.

Ward isn’t buying it, cups her face and surprising herself, Skye leans into his touch and hates both herself and him for it.

‘’We can talk about it if you want’’.

Thumbs drift along the side of her face and Skye fights the urge to close her eyes.

‘’I just don’t understand how someone could do that you know? Work for an organization but be a liar the entire time, getting close to people knowing you have to eventually turn on them’’.

Grant shrugs and there’s not an inch of nervousness in his movements, ‘’I don’t know either, I guess you can’t trust anyone’’.

It’s almost as if he’s mocking her and the situation.

‘’Yeah I guess you can’t’’.

He leans down and kisses her forehead, grabs the one healthy option she purchased, a bag of trail mix, opens it and sits on the bed.

‘’I mean what kind of training they’d have to have right? To fool an organization full of spies, talk about amazing undercover work’’.

‘’Looking at it from that angle, I’d have to agree with you’’.

Skye is going for innocent questioning, trying to trick him into confessing something before she forces it out of him.

‘’What’s the longest you’ve been undercover, like deep undercover?’’

‘’Sixteen months’’.

He switches on the television and eats a handful of almonds, like he’s got all the time in the world, like there’s not a ticking time bomb waiting to go off right next to him.

‘’When was that?’’

‘’About five years ago’’.

Skye stands off to the side, know she’s not getting out of his line of sight.

This moment feels like it’s tipping on the edge about to implode and he has no idea.

‘’That’s got to be so hard living a double life like that’’.

He shrugs, ‘’part of the job’’.

‘’Still, I couldn’t do it’’.

Ward glances at her from the corner of his eye, ‘’what are you doing?’’

‘’Talking, isn’t that what you wanted?’’

Before he can reply she’s moving, walks up and wraps both arms around his shoulders, knees straddling his hips.

Grant thinks she wants him, but really this position gives her the advantage. The feel of him against her, the way he looks at her like she holds the sun in her eyes, it no longer means anything. It just burns in sorrow, in anger, when his hands slide up her hips Skye wants nothing more than to cut them off, but that will have to wait, she’s nothing if not dramatic and she’s planning to call him out on who he is in her own way.

Because not only did he use her, he stole a future from her. Took all her hopes and dreams of them ending up together just like they do in that alternate timeline and crushed them in between his fingers. She hates him because even now when he looks at her like he’d want nothing more than to stay here forever, it still causes a shred of doubt, a question. Confusion lines her brows but it quickly clears when he runs both hands up her ribs, cups her breasts, then folds his fingers along her lower back.

The hands she once found solace and love in now she only sees as thorns, feels like blood running down her skin everywhere he touches. How do you look at someone who was once your home just an hour ago, but is now a complete stranger? Skye reminds herself that she chose to do this, she could have just left and not come back to this room, she could have killed him minutes ago but didn’t, she has to see this through no matter the pain.

‘’This doesn’t feel like talking’’.

He whispers, trailing his lips down her throat, he mistakes her shiver for pleasure.

‘’Are you complaining?’’

Feels him smile against her skin, ‘’no’’.

Skye doesn’t raise his chin and kiss him, can’t bring herself to, doesn’t want to taint their last one with this memory. She’d rather keep that kiss they shared before she went to the vending machine in blissed ignorance, before she knew the truth, when she was happy and in love. It isn’t until she’s got him fully under her spell, sprawled underneath her on the bed, his hands dipping below the waistband of her sweats that she strikes. His eyes are closed so he doesn’t see her grab the knife from her pocket, but he does feel when she puts it to his throat.

Grant immediately freezes, hands leave her stomach as he raises them like that’ll somehow prove he isn’t a threat.

Eyes are not wide or panicked, just confused as he stares up at her, ‘’Skye?’’

‘’New foreplay all the kids are doing it now, it’s all the rage’’.

She presses the blade harder against his skin, ‘’you don’t like it?’’

‘’Can’t say that I do’’.

‘’Shame’’.

‘’What are you doing?’’

‘’Just trying to have an honest conversation for once’’.

Her free hand rests against his heart and he glances down at it, ‘’Skye’’-

‘’Completely forgot to tell you by the way it just slipped my mind, Hydra murdered my friends and family and then forced me into becoming Inhuman, isn’t that funny?’’

The look on his face has the voice in her head that does not belong to her, sobbing.

Ward appears as if he just lost everything, his expression falls until it’s empty and there’s so much sadness in those amber eyes.

She doesn’t feel bad about it.

‘’Hail Hydra right?’’

And then it clicks, she watches his face twist in realization, he tenses beneath her.

Eyes the knife at his artery, ‘’I can explain’’.

‘’Can you?’’

Before she can blink he’s moving, switching their positions and grabbing the knife out of her hands.

But he doesn’t threaten her with it, instead slips it into his jeans pocket and she tries not to be distracted by his stupid bare chest.

Struggling when his hands pin her wrists to the bed, he pleads, ‘’please let me explain’’.

‘’Pass’’.

Then she stops being nice.

Flexes her fingers, powers rolling through into Ward, he’s pushed off her and goes flying into the TV, the broken glass doesn’t even faze him as he gets up, Skye stands and they’re facing one another. The silence doesn’t last for long, Quake lunges at him, ‘’you lying bastard, son of a bitch, you liar!’’ She manages to get two good punches to his face before he starts blocking the rest, trying to restrain her, never once hitting her back.

‘’All this time, after everything we’ve been through why? How could you?’’

He wipes the blood off his face and replies, ‘’I was on a mission, it wasn’t personal, I’m a spy, I had a job’’.

A tiny spark lights in the back of her mind at that, shouldn’t she understand that being a spy herself?

But the pain and loathing takes over, pushes that aside.

‘’It wasn’t personal?’’

She shoves at his chest, ‘’god you might actually believe that’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’It was personal every time you went out on a mission, every time you laughed with Fitzsimmons or stared Natasha Romanoff in the face, it was personal every time you fucked me’’.

‘’That has nothing to do with today’’.

‘’Yes it does! You’re a liar, you’ve been lying to everyone for years Ward, and for what? Why? You’ve killed I don’t know how many people, are you going to kill me now?’’

He cocks his head to the side like he’s offended she’d even say that, ‘’no, I would never hurt you’’.

She scoffs and manages to elbow him in the throat, grabs the back of his neck, ‘’you would never hurt me? Too late’’.

He spins, grabs her by the arm and twists just enough to feel pressure not pain, and holds her against the front door, his chest to her back.

She then for some reason thinks about the barn, how her spinal fluid and blood were taken.

‘’No you would just make someone else hurt me right? Like you did with those men in the barn’’.

It’s a shot in the dark he may not have had anything to with it, but then he crushes her hope again.

‘’I didn’t know that was going to happen, that was all Garrett’’.

‘’Oh of course it was Garrett’s fault, that was part of the mission right? You were just going to kick back and watch me bleed, let Hydra do god knows what with my DNA’’.

He goes slack against her and sucks in a sharp breath, turns so he’s facing her and his expression causes that voice in her head that’s not her own, to weep.

Ward points to his chest, his tone filled with sorrow and disbelief, ‘’you think I had a part in that? That I would let that happen to you? You know how I feel about you Skye’’.

She head butts him then uses her powers to send him through the door, but she misjudged the strength behind it and he goes sailing right through it, body landing in a heap outside.

Skye follows him out, anger, hatred, a broken heart and the need for revenge clouding everything else.

‘’Wait, so even though you’ve been lying to everyone about everything, you’re saying your feelings for me’’.

She trails off when he gets up and for some stupid reason, desperation perhaps so she doesn’t kill him, Grant cups her face.

Looks into her eyes and she believes him for half a moment when he says, ‘’they’re real Skye, they always have been’’.

Then his nose starts bleeding again and she remembers the barn, their first kiss, how none of this was real.

‘’I’m going to throw up’’.

He shifts away from her just a bit, wipes his face and then says, ‘’do you think this has been easy for me? Do you have any idea how hard it was, the sacrifices the decisions I had to make? But I made them because that’s what I do, I’m a survivor’’.

‘’I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Jesus Christ, you can’t justify being a Nazi’’.

‘’I’m not’’-

‘’You’re not a survivor Ward, you are a serial killer’’.

_And what are you? You’ve probably killed a shit ton more innocent people than he ever has._

The voice in her head asks, sounding angry, she tells it to shut up.

What he said to her in her apartment not too long ago comes to mind, and she spits the truth at him.

‘’And you were right about one thing, I wouldn’t like the real you’’.

The same heart break she feels right now is spreading across his face, his hands are shaking but Skye doesn’t feel sorry for him.

Instead she tries to physically harm him again, manages a few good kicks and punches as they move out of the space of the rooms and into the pool area. He never hits her back, not once, she calls him every terrible name she can think of, he never fights back. They’re a few feet apart now and that blank mask he’s always worn is on display now, but it looks different, maybe because she sees him for who really is this time around.

Ward just stares at her like he isn’t talking to the woman he claimed to love, ‘’so what now? Are you going to kill me?’’

‘’I’m thinking about it, I should’’.

‘’Yeah you probably should’’.

That brings her to a halt, ‘’why?’’

He opens his mouth to answer but someone beats him to it, ‘’because if she doesn’t I will’’.

The voice comes out of the shadows calm and collected, and Skye would know it anywhere.

The Black Widow appears beside the broken vending machine, Hawkeye beside her, the rest of the Avengers save for Thor and Bruce soon crowd around them and Ward of course realizes he’s horribly outnumbered, in reality he has been since he and Skye were in that hotel room alone. Tony approaches from behind looking both sad and angry, but Skye has no time to focus on that because Grant suddenly wraps an arm around her waist and hauls her back against his chest.

A knife presses to her neck and she could laugh at the irony, Nat looks as the weapon with a small amount of interest, Clint just looks bored because they all know this isn’t a fair fight.

‘’What are you going to do Ward, stab me?’’

‘’If I have to’’.

‘’Go ahead then’’.

Natasha calls his bluff leaving Tony gaping at her, ‘’’I’m sorry what?’’

‘’He’s not going to kill her’’.

‘’We don’t know that’’.

Romanoff looks directly into Ward’s eyes, ‘’you’re not going to kill her because you’re in love with her’’.

‘’I really don’t think now is the best time to assume Ward’s feelings Natasha’’.

‘’I’m not assuming anything’’.

‘’Can you two talk about this later?’’

Nat ignores Tony and focuses her attention on Skye, ‘’you okay?’’

‘’Aside from the knife to my throat I’m fine’’.

She’s not though and they both know it.

‘’Anytime you want to get out of that hold would be great Quake’’.

She shrugs at Steve, ‘’I’m pausing for dramatic effect’’.

‘’I have somewhere to be so can we hurry this along?’’

‘’I didn’t ask for any of you to come here Dad, I had the situation under control’’.

‘’Judging by current circumstances you did not’’.

‘’Oh bite me’’.

Clint asks Ward, ‘’so what’s the plan here Cheekbones? You can’t beat us and I’m inclined to agree with Nat, you won’t kill our girl’’.

‘’You don’t know me’’.

Nat takes a step to them, ‘’I do know that you don’t owe Garrett anything’’.

Ward’s hold loosens a bit, ‘’you’re wrong’’.

Taking advantage of his momentary lapse Skye twists out of his arms, grabbing the hand holding the knife and taking it for herself.

Grant’s gun is in her face before she even has a chance to face him.

They face off as strangers once more and Skye’s anger simmers slightly as that pain starts to envelope her entirely. 

The Avengers flank her now, Tony wraps an arm around her shoulder and Nat squeezes her hand.

‘’You can’t win Ward’’.

The smirk the Black Widow gets in response is full of poison, ‘’like I said, you don’t really know me’’.

With his free hand he reaches into the pocket of his pants and everyone tenses, both Clint and Nat hold up their guns while Steve has his shield resting against Skye’s upper body.

Grant pulls out a detonator his thumb on the trigger and everyone takes a step back.

‘’Son of a bitch’’.

‘’Oh my god did you have a bomb under the bed the whole time?’’

‘’Two actually, one in the office and one in the next room’’.

So some part of him knew or prepared for this to happen, because he never really trusted her.

Skye looks at Ward and just feels empty, ‘’god I should have known better’’.

His eyes are oh so sad when he whispers, ‘’someday you’ll understand’’.

‘’No I won’t’’.

They of course let him go and Skye watches until he fades from view, out in the parking lot a car starts and that sound disappears soon too. Eventually it’s just Skye and the Avengers alone, people have started to wake up and come out of their rooms, Skye hears someone say to call the police. Nat gently holds her hand and says, ‘’we should go’’. Where is she supposed to go? The person who she thought was her home is gone, how does she move on from that?

Tony and Steve support her as they walk to the car after they take care of the bombs, and Nat holds open the back door, but before Skye ducks down she looks at her former mentor, eyes filling with tears and just has to ask.

‘’I’m in love with someone who doesn’t exist, what the hell do I do with that?’’

The reply is not entirely unwelcome, ‘’get revenge’’.

It’s what Quake does best.


	21. Who Could Ever Leave Me Darling? But Who Could Stay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ward's showdown with Shield and Quake comes, bringing with it realizations and repercussions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clear up any confusion, Skye acted the way she did in the last chapter because she doesn't understand Ward here yet, she doesn't know he was brain washed and manipulated by Garrett for years. All she knew is that the man she loves is apart of the same organization that killed her friends and family once.
> 
> Also- Alison Price and Robin sent Skye and Ward to this alternate timeline as a punishment, as revenge, so this reality takes place somewhere else, once they get back home everything will be as it was before they left. They'll still be married for years, Skye. will be Director of Shield, everything that happened before and after they met in their universe did not change, they've still been in love for ten years.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

_Margarita mix, salt, fresh lemons and limes, Ward places all of the products in the small basket in his hand and looks around the store. Mostly out of habit, he can’t turn that paranoid part of him off, it’s like a second limb now, forever ingrained into his brain, sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s surveying an area until someone points it out. Eyes seeing no threats he goes back to the task at hand, grabbing a jar of salsa and heading over to grab a case of water._

_The small grocery store is quiet this evening, the sun is setting, the cashiers look like they’re ready to go home, the security guard by the produce appears to be half asleep. Grant is wrapping a jalapeno in a plastic bag when he senses another body enter the same aisle, feels eyes on him, glancing away from the vegetables he finds a woman staring at him while pretending that she’s not. Retired or not, Ward was trained to see targets, marks, to never let his guard down, his mind starts working automatically._

_If this woman is a threat, who is she working for? All the ways he can apprehend her in public quickly without attracting attention, how he’s going to warn Skye who’s in the frozen section getting ice cream, his brain thinks of every scenario, every variable, the numerous ways he can kill this woman without leaving a trace. There’s a knife in his boot and leather jacket, he could take her down before she even realizes what’s going on._

_But after a few minutes of observation he realizes she’s just a civilian, no threat, though his shoulders don’t relax because he’s caught on to why she’s staring at him. Ward has never been a fan of his face, for years he stared into the mirror and hated what and who he saw, his body, his features and hands were used to other people’s advantage. And until he met his therapist he didn’t realize that he belonged to himself, and he had a choice on who he shared his body with._

_Years later after experiencing love for the first time and understanding that his skin wasn’t this terrible thing to be exploited, Ward has slowly started to accept that other people are allowed to find his genes attractive and it isn’t a bad thing, it still makes him uncomfortable though. Sighing under his breath he finishes grabbing ingredients for tonight’s dinner and moves on to find Skye when he runs into the same woman again in the chip aisle._

_Short red hair, maybe in her late twenties, blue eyes and wearing dark framed glasses, she has a kind face that is currently drinking him in. Paying her no mind he’s halfway down the aisle when she says something that has him turning around._

_‘’Do I know you from somewhere?’’_

_‘’No’’._

_Ward makes his tone bored and uninterested._

_‘’I’m sorry I just, I could have sworn I’ve seen you before’’._

_She’s never met him in her life, he’d remember, he remembers every face he’s ever come across._

_‘’Must have me mistaken for someone else’’._

_Grant turns to go again when she asks, ‘’wait I think I’ve seen you on the news’’._

_It’s not the first time this has happened, before he and Skye retired the Avenges were in the news a lot, once in a blue moon he appeared on screen as well._

_If it was a live broadcast there was nothing that could be done, but if it was old rerun footage Skye and Tony would hack into the network and erase him from view._

_‘’I don’t think so’’._

_Now his voice is clipped, annoyed, but she doesn’t get the message._

_Instead the woman smiles and takes a step towards him, ‘’you worked with the Avengers before right? You’re like some kind of hero’’._

_Everything inside Ward recoils, no one but Skye has called him that before._

_Even though he’s made amazing progress in the years since he started therapy, no one has seen him as a hero before, Ward would never call himself that either._

_‘’I’m not’’._

_He feels sweat start to build on the back of his neck, suddenly very uncomfortable._

_‘’You have the wrong guy ma’am’’._

_‘’I don’t think I do, you’re a superhero’’._

_‘’I can promise you I’m not, I’m the bad guy’’._

_It’s a lie, it’s been a long time since Grant saw himself as an irredeemable monster, but he doesn’t see himself as the savior type either._

_The stranger pales for a moment before opening her mouth like she’s going to correct him, but another voice steals the spotlight._

_‘’A little dramatic babe, don’t you think?’’_

_Skye walks up from behind the woman to his side, running a hand up his back, her attention focused on him and him alone._

_Wearing sweatpants, a baseball cap and one of Steve’s old shirts she doesn’t look intimidating, this is not the Quake the world knows and fears._

_‘’I mean I could have said a multitude of other things like I’m a serial killer or I set my childhood home on fire with my parents and brother inside’’._

_‘’I wish you would have done that’’._

_‘’It’s still in the realm of possibility’’._

_‘’They deserve it’’._

_‘’Yes they do’’._

_‘’I’ll pour the gasoline’’._

_They’re kidding but Ward knows Skye would do it, she’d do anything for him and he loves her for it._

_When he looks up the stranger is gone and Skye rests her cheek against his bicep, wraps her arms around him, ‘’been a while since someone called you out in public, you okay?’’_

_Skye used to feel guilty about bringing him into this life, into the spotlight that was constantly on her, sometimes it flares up._

_Kissing her forehead he replies, ‘’I’m fine, no big deal’’._

_‘’Because if she was a bitch to you I will kick her ass’’._

_At the set of her brows he knows the teasing from earlier is over, she’s completely serious._

_Running a hand through her dark hair she leans up just as he bends to kiss her, ‘’that’s not necessary’’._

_‘’I disagree’’._

_She breathes against his lips before kissing him again, her hands gripping his shirt over his hips._

_‘’I’m fine’’._

_Pulling away she reads his face before nodding, taking his hand and walking towards the registers._

_He’s putting up the groceries in the trunk a few minutes later when Skye says, ‘’I know you’ve never seen yourself as the hero type’’._

_Neither has she, Skye believes she’s a villain to everyone but him, the Avengers and the team of Inhumans she used to have._

_‘’But you’re wrong’’._

_He closes the trunk and frowns at her standing by the passenger door, waiting for him to open it._

_‘’Think the rest of the world might disagree with you’’._

_‘’You mean Shield, your family’’._

_Grant nods and she rolls her eyes, ‘’screw them, you betrayed Shield, so what? They forgave you’’._

_‘’Still doesn’t make up for it, I’ll forever be the bad guy to most of them’’._

_That doesn’t bother Grant like it used to._

_‘’Your family is full of abusive monsters who never deserved you’’._

_‘’You’re right’’._

_He opens the SUV door for her but she doesn’t climb in, instead stands on her toes to wrap both arms around his neck, ‘’you are a hero Ward’’._

_‘’Skye’’-_

_‘’You’re the hero in your own story’’._

_That brings him up short as Skye continues, ‘’after everything you’ve been through you came out on the other side happy and whole, you dug yourself out of all the bullshit Garrett and your family buried you in, you learned who you are without anyone else’s influence, sounds awfully heroic to me’’._

_He’s speechless for a moment and she kisses his nose, ‘’you saved yourself, that should be the only opinion that matters’’._

_He searches those brown eyes that have been his home for so long now and gets lost in them, she helped save him too._

_‘’And if that doesn’t do it for you, you’re the hero in my story too’’._

_His mother’s voice carries over with the memory of her saying he’ll never amount to anything, that he’s worthless and no one would ever love him._

_But it’s lost under the weight of Skye’s gaze, her arms around him._

_Eyes misty he kisses her forehead, ‘’I love you’’._

_‘’I love you too’’._

_He holds her a second longer before stepping away and saying, ‘’I was half dead when I met you, you saved me too’’._

_‘’I’m not the saving type Grant, but you were worth it, you always have been’’._

_They’re in the car and Skye is holding his hand when he comments, ‘’you’re the only person who truly understands me’’._

_Resting her head against the seat she rolls her neck to look at him, ‘’more than Kebo?’’_

_He’s suspected for a while it’s some strange competition between them on who he trusts more, not that it really matters._

_‘’Yeah’’._

_Smiling Skye lifts their joined hands and kisses his knuckles, ‘’it wasn’t a hard thing to do you know, you were just lost for a while, but you came back’’._

_Lost to his demons, the ghosts of his family and Garrett, what he did to Shield, the guilt for Hydra, but Paul his long time therapist, Kebo, the Avengers and Skye brought him back to life._

_She lets his hand go and rests her own against the back of his neck, ‘’every time you get lost Ward I’ll always be there to find you and bring you home’’._

_Skye is the best thing that’s ever happened to him._

_He wouldn’t give her up for the world._

Spinal fluid running down the cracks of a tile floor, blood filling the spaces in between, a cry of anguish is cut off by a sickening snap. Fingers covered in scarlet, bones clutched inside nails, a sick smile of madness stretched across a set of lips that perhaps should no longer be moving. A laugh that once filled others with euphoria now chills the air like ice, brittle and sharp, like one small twitch could bring everything crashing down in suffocating blankets of snow.

Grant Ward watches the man he’s seen as a father since he was fifteen years old lose his mind. Lose what made the pieces of John Garrett as if they’re spinning down a drain and neither he nor Ward is fast enough to catch them. Whatever Raina did by saving his life has turned the man Ward once knew into someone else, something else, a foreign entity that has been consumed by insanity. Post serum John Garrett is a being Grant does not recognize, he’s afraid. 

That Garrett is going to be stuck like this forever, that there’s no coming back from this, he’ll never recover from the alien DNA, Skye’s DNA inside him. That would be ironic wouldn’t it? Grant finally saved the one person in the world who cares about him from dying, yet he loses him to whatever is flowing through his bloodstream. Observing it from a different angle say Shield’s, they’d call it poetic justice, Ward just calls it tragic. 

Shield abandoned John to die forcing him to turn to Hydra, they have no one to blame but themselves for what’s happening now. Ward has seen many terrible grotesque things in his day, even caused horrors beyond thought himself, but this, he’s never seen John like this. Bodies litter the floor of the facility they’re in, organs and brain matter splattered across the walls, ceilings, and Garrett is standing among the carnage as if he’s some kind of god. 

The scene doesn’t make him sick like it would a normal person, Ward is hardly fazed as he steps around what used to be a person and stares at his former mentor. And for one second it’s crystal clear that the man he knew is gone, in his place is a mad man who may not deserve to live, he could become too dangerous. Grant brushes the thought off because he’d never be able to kill Garrett, insane or not, he owes John everything.

_‘’I do know you don’t owe Garrett anything’’._

Natasha Romanoff’s statement comes back to haunt him, and just like for the past four days it causes a flicker of doubt in his brain, just a small beam of light in a sea of darkness as if someone turned on a switch, but it’s still there. Shaking his head he focuses back on John who is gazing out at the mess he made and when he turns, there’s a smirk on his face. It’s not one Ward recognizes, it’s new, born out of the need for blood and revenge. 

‘’Shield will be here soon, you know that don’t you?’’

‘’Yes sir’’.

The plan was to gather a few higher up ranks in the military and tell them Garrett’s plan for building a defense system than Shield, they didn’t agree, hence the massacre.

‘’I trust you’ll be able to handle things’’.

‘’Of course’’.

Garrett wipes blood off his hands onto his pants, ‘’our men are already in place with orders, would you like to add anything?’’

Confusion lines Grant’s brows, ‘’what do you mean?’’

‘’Well I have no doubt your girlfriend will be with them blazing in here dead set on revenge, she’ll kill you this time around’’.

An ache blooms and spreads in his chest at the thought of Skye, the look on her face in that hotel room flashes before his eyes and he nearly buckles under the weight of the guilt. 

He never wanted to hurt her, what happened four days ago was not part of the plan.

‘’So I’m going to ask again, do you want to add anything to my orders regarding Quake?’’

Grant reads in between the lines, understands now and shakes his head, ‘’no sir’’.

‘’Suit yourself’’.

With one sentence Ward could tell the Hydra agents around the building to shoot to kill, but of course he won’t do that.

Even if Skye no longer loves him he doesn’t want her dead.

‘’Do a perimeter sweep then report back, I have a feeling the party is about to start’’.

‘’Yes sir’’.

Ward walks to the front entrance as John calls him back, ‘’I’m glad you’re here at the beginning of all things’’.

Confusion has him turning around, ‘’the beginning of what John?’’

‘’The end’’.

He has a sinking feeling that whatever Garrett sees is all in his mind, and he may not make it out of this alive.

After making sure every square inch of the building is secure Ward is walking back to Garrett when his phone rings, checking the caller I.D. and sighing because it’s just going to keep ringing until he answers, he hits the accept button and hardly has time to breathe before the drama starts.

‘’I swear to god Ward the next time I see you I’m going to kick you in the kneecaps’’.

‘’Good morning to you too Kebo’’.

‘’Cut the shit Ward it’s not funny, you and Garrett left me behind on purpose’’.

It’s true, last night John boarded a quin jet along with his men and told Grant not to wake up Kebo, he of course obeyed without question.

‘’I wouldn’t take it personal’’.

‘’Oh don’t even try that line on me, we both know why John doesn’t want me there for whatever the hell he’s planning’’.

Because Kebo has always caused problems, even if Ward doesn’t want to look too deep as to why that is.

‘’Look we’ll be back in a few hours, I wouldn’t stress about it’’.

‘’I’m stressing because you’re there alone with Garrett who has booked a one way ticket aboard the Crazy Train’’.

‘’John is fine’’.

‘’No he’s not and we both know it, between him and Shield wanting you dead, I don’t like it’’.

‘’I’ll be fine’’.

‘’If you say fine one more time’’-

‘’Relax, everything is going to work out’’.

‘’It’s really not Ward, not to mention Quake and the Avengers are after you now too, did I not warn you what would happen if you screwed her over?’’

‘’I can handle Skye’’.

‘’You sure about that?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’When you’re done lying to yourself let me know’’.

Taking a deep breath Ward tries and fails not to focus on the woman who loves him in the flashbacks he sees, but hates him here.

God her face when she realized who he was, it’ll haunt him forever, wishes he could pull her into his arms even now and apologize, tell her falling in love was never his intention.

‘’You know it’s not a bad thing by the way, feeling something for her’’.

Kebo comments and it’s immediately met with resistance, Garrett’s voice in his head saying, _‘’never get attached to anyone or anything’’._

‘’And I know you’re hearing John say otherwise right now but he’s wrong, you’re allowed to form emotional attachments Grant’’.

‘’Can we not do your monologue right now?’’

Kebo has a habit of pulling apart Garrett’s words and techniques and turning them into something else.

‘’All I’m saying is we’ve been friends for years and he never made you shoot me’’.

‘’There’s still time’’.

‘’Because he knows you’d never do it, not even for him’’.

‘’I’m thinking about it right now’’.

‘’Just like you’d never kill Quake even if he told you to’’.

He’s right, though he wants to believe otherwise.

‘’Look all I’m saying is you saved that deranged lunatic and now your mission is done right? We can leave, just tell me where you are and I can pick you up’’.

‘’It’s not over with, I have to see this through’’.

‘’Do you though?’’

‘’Yes, I can’t just abandon John’’.

‘’Even though he’s done it to you?’’

‘’Again, really don’t want to hear your villain monologue right now’’.

Kebo sighs, ‘’are you sure you’re okay?’’

‘’You’ve been asking me that for four days now’’.

‘’And you’ve yet to be honest with me’’.

Truth spills from Ward’s lips, ‘’I miss Skye’’.

‘’Yeah I know you do. Screw that bitch’’.

‘’Watch your mouth’’.

‘’I’m serious’’-

‘’Don’t talk about her like that, and weren’t you just saying it was okay for me to feel something for her?’’

‘’Because I’m proud of you for forming an emotional attachment to someone other than Garrett, I don’t have to like her’’.

‘’Kebo’’-

‘’Excuse me for not liking the woman who claimed to love you and then turned on you the second things went south’’.

‘’She has every right to hate me’’.

‘’That’s not exactly true’’.

Leaning against the wall Ward asks, ‘’what do you mean?’’

‘’All Quake would have to do is look into your background and see that this wasn’t your fault, I mean she already hates Garrett so it shouldn’t be too hard to connect the rest of the dots. Though I can’t give her too much credit, you told her about your childhood and she still didn’t understand you’’.

‘’I’m not the person she thought I was’’.

‘’So? You lied, big whoop, Shield is full of liars. And this is Quake we’re talking about, she’s not exactly a Saint, probably killed a hell of a lot more people than you and John combined’’.

‘’It’s not the same thing, and all of this was my fault’’.

‘’It’s really not Grant, if Quake and anyone else is going to blame someone it should be John’’.

‘’Kebo’’-

‘’I mean he is the one who kidnapped a fifteen year old child and left him in the woods all alone for five years, brain washed and abused him, trained him to be his perfect weapon’’-

‘’Don’t start’’.

Kebo sighs, ‘’he’s not a good person Grant’’.

‘’You don’t know him like I do’’.

‘’Because that’s how he likes you, he likes you obeying every order, never questioning him’’.

‘’Look I have to see this through, you know that’’.

‘’And then what?’’

‘’I don’t know’’.

‘’I vote the beach, I need a drink in my hand’’.

It reminds Ward of what he said to Skye in their hotel room about leaving until everything blows over, she probably thinks he was lying now but he wasn’t. He said that because he really craved it, being away from everything, and he wanted to hang onto her a little longer before she found out who he was. A futile dream but one he wants even now, can see it in his mind. The image is shattered when Kebo starts speaking again.

‘’I found somebody’’.

Immediately curious and shocked because Ward thinks Kebo is talking about a woman, he’s never shown interest in someone since his beloved died many years ago.

‘’You did? What’s her name, where did you meet her?’’

Grant has been hoping for years that the grief will stop eating his friend alive so he can be happy one day.

‘’First of all I’m insulted that you’d automatically assume I’m talking about dating someone’’.

‘’Can you not with the riddles this morning? I’m not in the mood’’.

‘’You never are’’.

‘’Who did you find?’’

‘’A therapist’’.

‘’Oh, well that’s good Kebo, when are you going to meet with them?’’

‘’It’s not for me Grant’’.

Ward scoffs, ‘’I don’t need a therapist’’.

‘’I beg to differ’’.

‘’Good thing I don’t listen to you’’.

‘’And that’s the problem, look I’ve been thinking about this for years and I really think it’d be good for you. Besides you’re the one who told me that alternate version of you had one’’.

‘’We’re not having this conversation’’.

‘’No one is forcing you to do anything, it’s just a suggestion, you have a choice on whether you go or not’’.

Pinching the bridge of nose as Kebo says, ‘’I just want you to be happy and healthy Ward, and we both know if you continue to stay with John neither of those things are going to happen’’.

The voice in his head that sounds like the one from that alternate timeline agrees with Kebo, it’s hard to ignore.

Knowing John gets antsy if he’s gone too long, Ward starts to walk back, ‘’I have to go’’.

‘’Send me your location’’.

‘’I’ll see you when this is over’’.

‘’Ward don’t you dare hang’’-

He ends the call just as he’s stepping into the room filled with blood, Garrett turns to smile at him.

‘’Let’s finish this’’.

‘’Yes sir’’.

It ends in a far more tragic way than Ward ever anticipated.

Here’s a question for all the other liars and traitors of the world, how do you look at yourself in the mirror after the one you love, the one you betrayed, finds out who you are? The person you never intended to get hurt, the one who was never supposed to be tainted by your darkness? How do you justify that? How do you not hate the man you see staring back at you? Because no one else put that look on her face, no one else fed her lies and empty promises in attempt to hold on to her tighter.

You did this, you broke her heart, made her turn against you, no one else is to blame for what happened in that hotel room, just you, your darkness, the person you parents always said you’d turn out to be. Grant doesn’t blame Skye for reacting the way she did, any sane person would, he doesn’t fault her for the bruises on his face or the ache in his chest, he’s at fault here not her. How can he? He knew exactly what he was doing, he expected this reaction, this hatred and violence at the end.

Ward deserves it all and he doesn’t regret it because he got what he wanted; John is going to live. The goal he’s worked towards for years now is complete, Garrett isn’t dying, their mission was successful. The heavy weight that’s been crushing his heart since he was fifteen is now gone, he can breathe again, that fear that gnawed at him daily that he’d be all alone in the world if John died has disappeared. So why doesn’t he feel better?

Why is he not over joyed, why does he still feel empty? If the flash backs are any indication it has to be because he lost Skye, and he really wanted to keep her. Why is it that she understood him in that alternate universe but can’t do the same here? Grant has a feeling he wasn’t lying to her back then, John clearly wasn’t in the picture, so how did they make it work? Did he still betray her and she forgave him for it? Or was their story entirely different there?

Whatever the reason one thing is clear; she loved him there but doesn’t here, she hates him in this timeline and there may not be anything he can do to change that. That fight in the hotel room four days ago hasn’t left him, the look on her face when he admitted who and what he was, how disgusted she appeared, how full of hatred as she swung her fists and spit venom in her words. Though her anger was justified he doesn’t understand why Skye and the rest of Shield are holding this against him.

It’s an organization full of spies, its foundation was literally made up on lying and manipulating people, they teach eighteen year olds how to kill someone for god sake. In all the terrible ugly things he’s done, is it really so much worse than the acts Shield as a whole have committed? Can he really compare the two? The voice in his head that sounds as if it belongs to the alternate version of him says yes, saving Garrett was the main priority and things that happened were not his fault.

But Grant continually doesn’t listen because how could all of this not be his fault? He chose to follow Garrett, to stay in those woods for five years, to infiltrate Shield, to get close to Skye, Coulson, Fitzsimmons and the Avengers for a specific reason. He planned to lie and betray them all along and he did so, followed through with his mission until the bloody end. Hydra was just a means to and end anyway, neither Ward, Garrett or Kebo were ever loyal to them in the first place.

Bloody and bruised Ward enters a room gun up, looking for more Shield agents to take out, the com in his ear long broken, he hasn’t run into anyone on Coulson’s team yet. Stops in his tracks when the room reveals Skye standing in the middle of the floor, dead Hydra agents all around her, waiting for him, she’s wearing an all-black suit that is both familiar yet brand new, silver gauntlets and a heart monitor on her wrists, gun and other various weapons hidden in different pockets and compartments.

This is her Quake suit, and her alter ego is on full display, it’s a mask she hides behind when she doesn’t want to deal with her emotions, or something is too hard to handle so she turns everything off and lets Quake take the front seat. Even though she’s probably been in fight after fight for a while now she’s not sweating, breathing isn’t labored, no fresh bruises on her face. The old ones are fading to a yellow green, though the worst ones are black as night and deep dark purple. 

Knuckles are still scabbed over and raw, a few are bleeding again, she’s favoring her right side and instead of hatred in her eyes like last time, when Ward meets her gaze there’s a blank understanding in them. Pity, sympathy maybe? He can’t tell, and is confused by her body language and what she says next.

‘’Been doing some research on you Ward’’.

He checks the room, the front and side door, she’s alone, he doesn’t relax the grip on his gun as it still points at her.

‘’Oh?’’

There’s nothing for her to find that she didn’t already months ago when they first started working together.

‘’On your family, John Garrett’’.

He doesn’t let her see the small amount of apprehension cross his face, ‘’I don’t know what you think’’-

‘’You disappeared from a detention center when you were fifteen then popped back up randomly on Shield’s radar five years later, where did you go?’’

Memory of the cold forest wind hits him first, then the freezing rain, long nights alone terrified out of his mind.

Brushing that off he replies, ‘’Fiji’’.

‘’Liar’’.

‘’Not to you, never again’’.

A fault appears in the center of her brow, just a crack in her stone cold persona. 

He preys on it, ‘’I never wanted this to happen Skye’’.

‘’How did you meet John Garrett?’’

‘’He was my S.O’’.

‘’By coincidence or his design?’’

Where is she going with this? What does she know? What happened to the woman who wanted him dead, is this a mind game is she playing him?

‘’Surprised you want to talk considering the last time we saw each other you threw me into a TV’’.

‘’Somebody told me to give you the benefit of the doubt’’.

‘’I don’t believe that’’.

‘’You should, since it was you’’.

The flashbacks, the echoes of the former life they spent together, that version of him had to have given her some sort of clue to dig into his and Garrett’s past.

It makes Ward uneasy, though there shouldn’t be any evidence or physical proof, she and Tony Stark could probably recover whatever the hell they wanted to.

‘’The past four days I keep having these dreams of you telling me that Garrett brain washed you’’.

She sounds so much like Kebo that he scoffs, ‘’I wish I could say that’s what happened’’.

‘’So tell me what did’’.

He gestures to her hands hanging loosely at her sides, her eerily calm expression, ‘’what the hell are you doing?’’

‘’Trying to understand, I don’t think all of this was your fault’’.

‘’Four days ago you were trying to kill me and all of a sudden you have a change of heart? Am I supposed to believe that?’’

‘’Believe whatever you want, but I don’t think this is all black and white like Shield does, do you want to hear my theory?’’

He nods out of curiosity and maybe just maybe, a little hope.

‘’I think Garrett abducted you and stuck you somewhere you couldn’t escape, there are flight logs of his random disappearances for five years straight all to an unknown location. I’m assuming he trained you because not even Shield’s top classes on how to kill people are as callous as you are’’.

No one but Kebo knows this information and it gives Ward whiplash, he has no idea how to respond.

‘’I think he used torture techniques on you then taught you how to do it, that’s why you don’t even blink on the rare occasions you’re captured’’.

It feels like he’s free falling out of a plane, no parachute, no one to catch or save him, his chest feels tight, his eyes burn.

‘’You told me you thought Garrett saved you from your family, from a lifetime in jail, when in reality he just put you in another version of his hell’’.

‘’You’re wrong’’.

His voice is scratchy, weak and faltering. 

‘’Are you saying the older version of yourself who told his wife all the horrors John put him through was lying?’’

‘’I don’t, it’s just a little convenient don’t you think? The timing of this conversation, where was this attitude in our hotel room?’’

‘’Four days ago all I knew was the man I’d been sleeping with was a part of the same organization who killed my parents’’.

‘’And now it just doesn’t matter?’’

‘’Of course it does, I’m just saying it wasn’t your fault’’.

‘’You don’t know that, you can’t know that. Everything I did, I did of my own free will’’.

She cocks her head to the side, ‘’what does free will mean to you Ward?’’

He spouts of the Merriam Webster definition, ‘’acting without the influence of someone else’’.

‘’Even though someone else influenced every single decision you’ve ever made for years?’’

‘’You don’t know what you’re talking about’’.

Skye takes a step forward, ‘’you’re the one who told me all of this, I’m just repeating everything back to you. I found Garrett’s flight logs, and the reason why you and him joined Hydra in the first place, he’s dying isn’t he?’’

‘’He was’’.

The secret slips out and Ward hates himself for it, and entertaining this conversation.

Realization sounds in those dark brown eyes, ‘’that’s why his men took my blood in the barn’’.

‘’That wasn’t supposed to happen, he didn’t tell me about it until weeks later’’.

‘’I believe you’’.

No one has ever said this to him and Ward’s chest feels like it’s caving in, like the walls are closing around him and he can’t breathe.

And Skye is at the center of this storm pulling him deeper into places he doesn’t want to go.

‘’You shouldn’t, you should hate me’’.

‘’Should I? Judging by this conversation Garrett just used you, can’t really blame you for that’’.

‘’He didn’t’’.

‘’You said he took your abusive past and used it against you, you thought he was building you back up from the broken pieces your family created but in reality all he really did was make you into a killer, used you as his own personal weapon to guarantee his survival until you two found a cure’’.

Doubt fills his brain, denial next floods his system, it’s impossible. 

Garrett cares about him, treats him like a son, everything he’s done was out of love.

‘’The way I see it John Garrett is a real asshole and kidnapped a fifteen year old kid with a troubled past, and instead of helping him he just traumatized him even more, you’re a victim Ward, and you shouldn’t be punished for your abuser’s crimes’’.

‘’He didn’t abuse me’’.

‘’I’m not a psychiatrist but I know an abuser when I see one, you don’t owe him anything Ward’’.

He drops his arms, the gun useless now and fights against the rage of emotions inside.

_‘’Someday you’ll understand’’._

Isn’t this what he wanted, for Skye to see his side of things? 

So why does he feel so torn and on edge?

The inner turmoil is at its peak when Skye approaches him slowly, ‘’your family nearly broke you, and instead of Garrett putting you back together he made you into a weapon to use at his disposal’’.

Her hands reach up to hold the back of his neck and it’s so familiar and comforting he wants to weep.

‘’I didn’t see it in that hotel room but I do now, and I am so sorry for how I reacted’’.

He can’t handle this, it’s too much, too many different questions screaming out, her emotions are too hot and cold to make sense of.

Which is why the words spill out before he can catch them, ‘’it wasn’t just the flashbacks that drew me into you, it was just you, not Garrett, you were all I wanted. But not like this’’.

‘’What do you mean?’’

He can feel her body heat through his shirt, thoughts a spiraling tangling mess.

‘’I wanted you before I even knew who you were, Garrett told me to get close to you and at first I thought I was just following orders. Falling for you wasn’t part of the plan, I wasn’t supposed to form a’’-

‘’An attachment’’.

She finishes for him and Ward nods, ‘’everything else about me is a lie but not that, not how I feel about you’’.

The tough exterior vanishes as she presses into his chest, ‘’I’m sorry I called you a Nazi’’.

‘’I deserved it’’.

Her fingers are sharp against his chin as she holds it, ‘’no you didn’t, you’’-

‘’I’ve killed a lot of people Skye, probably innocent people, I’ve killed Shield agents that trusted me, I betrayed them, you’’.

‘’I’’-

‘’Do you know how easy it is to play a person? You find something somebody wants and give it to them’’.

‘’Garrett teach you that?’’

‘’Victoria Hand actually’’.

‘’You killed her’’.

There’s no malice in her tone and Ward feels like he’s coming undone, unhinged. 

‘’Why are you acting like you care about these people anyway? You hate Shield, I was just doing a job, if anyone was going to be the traitor I’d expect it to be you’’.

He’s right and they both know it, but Skye’s response isn’t what he’s expecting, ‘’the reason you kill isn’t because you feel nothing, it’s because you feel too much’’.

Grant tries to look away but she directs his attention back to her face, ‘’I have done terrible awful things under the influence of no one, out of the two of us I’m the cold blooded killer, it’s never been you’’.

She went from winter to summer in four days and Grant can’t keep up, there should be bullets in his chest right about now, not her soft hands on his skin.

‘’I can help you’’.

‘’How?’’

An explosion nearby rocks them and Grant on instinct wraps both arms around Skye to steady her.

‘’I can get you out of here the Avengers will protect you, all I have to do is say the word’’.

No one has ever offered him a choice before, it’s appealing, like a sliver of sunshine after constant thunderstorm days.

But he can’t abandon John, not yet.

‘’I can’t leave John’’.

Her face falls as sadness enters every line, ‘’I figured you’d say that’’.

Hydra agents storm into the room and Ward doesn’t hesitate to raise his gun, Skye lifts both hands and they fight side by side as if nothing has changed.

The targets are soon eliminated and Ward looks over to find Skye giving him a bloody lifeless smile, ‘’why do I feel like this is going to end in another goodbye?’’

Because it is, he can’t grip her and John’s fingers without losing one or both of them.

Uncertainty has him by the throat on where they stand, what their conversation meant, what the hell he does now, when Skye solves it for him.

‘’I’ll keep Shield off your back’’.

‘’You don’t have to’’-

‘’Yeah I do. But Ward you have to know that Garrett isn’t going to survive this, if Coulson doesn’t kill him I will’’.

‘’I don’t think I can let you do that’’.

Fire fills her eyes, ‘’he can’t get away with what he did to you Ward’’.

‘’I’m not sending him to his death, I can’t. I can’t stand aside while you or anyone else kills him’’.

Skye cracks her knuckles, debates for a moment before nodding to herself, ‘’you also told me that whatever the hell happened to Garrett after the serum was injected wasn’t meant to survive’’.

Right now Ward really hates the other version of himself.

‘’Maybe he’s right, I don’t know. All I know is that I have to keep him alive’’.

‘’Fine, promise me one thing’’.

She shouldn’t believe his promises, shouldn’t show him any kindness or sympathy.

He doesn’t deserve it.

Skye walks up to him her hands resting against his chest and it just doesn’t make sense, he deserves her hatred, her fists in his face, not this, not understanding in her eyes that have always felt like home.

‘’Promise me you won’t get yourself killed trying to rescue him’’.

‘’You can’t save me Skye’’.

She smiles sadly, ‘’I can try’’.

It’s ironic all things considered, especially the flashback earlier.

‘’Why? Why are you doing all of this?’’

She doesn’t hesitate before responding, ‘’because I know what it’s like to become someone you aren’t proud of, to look in the mirror and hate what you see. And because Garrett is a monster and he dragged you into a hell, you deserve better than that’’.

‘’Can’t say I agree with you’’.

That sorrow filled smirk graces her lips again, ‘’someday you’ll understand’’.

It’s strange, having someone apologize for hurting him, for believing in something he can’t see even though something inside him says she and Kebo are right. She should be putting a knife in his heart right now, every other time he’s done something wrong it’s met with violence, this is the first time in his entire life someone has looked in his face and said it’s alright, that he wasn’t at fault and showed him mercy instead of pain. 

Ward has no idea what to do with any of it.

Heavy boots pound down the hallway he doesn’t know if it’s Shield or Hydra and Skye doesn’t care either way, instead she shoves him towards the door and he says, ‘’I promise’’. He wants to ask if she still loves him, if she could ever forgive him. Because while she may understand that doesn’t necessarily mean all of his sins are suddenly nonexistent in her eyes, despair and panic are burning so hot underneath his skin he doesn’t know which one he wants more of. 

Loath to leave her but knowing she can take care of herself, Ward exits the room, heads down a separate hallway only to sense another body close by. Readying his body for a fight, his shoulders tense up as Melinda May steps out of the shadows, expression cold and empty, similar to John’s if he’s being honest. The Calvary doesn’t intimidate him, never has, right now is no exception as she curls her hands into fists.

‘’Quake told us to leave you alone, but I don’t work for her’’.

‘’Come on May we both know you can’t win here’’.

‘’We’ll see about that’’.

He was wrong, in a flurry of perfected harsh movements, a nail gun and her rage to light her steps, Ward goes down on a dirty foreign floor as the world goes black, the next time he wakes it’s in a cell.

*

_Three Days Later_

‘’You more than anyone should hate Ward for being Hydra’’.

Quake glares at Jemma Simmons as they stand in Phil Coulson’s new office at the Playground.

‘’Why? It’s not like he was the one who slit my father’s throat or locked me in a lab’’.

‘’He was with the organization who did’’.

‘’How many times do I have to repeat myself? Ward was brain washed, he didn’t know what he was doing’’.

‘’He had a choice Quake, and he picked the wrong side’’.

Skye takes the coffee mug out of Fitz’s hand and hurls it at Coulson, who ducks at the last minute and it shatters against the wall.

‘’What part of brain washing do you morons not understand? Garrett kidnapped a child, left him in the woods alone for five years to condition, torture, abuse and brain wash him, build him up the way he wanted, Garrett created a weapon to use whenever it suited him. How is that okay?’’

Bobbi Morse speaks up, a new member of the team, ‘’Ward could have left whenever he wanted’’.

‘’And gone where? He was terrified of Garrett, the man would have beat the shit out of him if he even tried it’’.

‘’Sorry to interrupt love but how do you know all of this? You talked to Ward once and that was three days ago, before he was imprisoned downstairs’’.

Lance Hunter, Bobbi’s husband asks and Skye is three seconds away from punching him.

‘’It’s called doing research, seeing a troubled man and doing something about it, helping instead of condemning him’’.

‘’Yeah well he’s in a cell so I don’t think you helped him all that much’’.

Skye lunges for Hunter only to be held back by Natasha, who hasn’t left her side since that hotel room with Ward a week ago.

‘’Relax’’.

The Black Widow mutters, her hand tight on Skye’s shoulder who takes a deep breath, she can hardly think straight, all she wants is Ward out of Vault D, Shield’s prison basement in their new secret base.

‘’Ward targeted you for a reason Quake, he slept with you to cloud your judgement’’.

‘’I’m fully aware of why he did what he did’’.

May raises an eyebrow, ‘’so why do you want to save him?’’

‘’None of what happened was his fault’’.

‘’That’s not for you to decide’’.

Coulson says, in the days since Fury named him Director he thinks he has some kind of power over everyone, including Skye.

‘’It kind of is, he’s not staying down there’’.

‘’Don’t make this difficult Quake’’.

‘’Don’t be a dick and keep an innocent man in your basement Coulson, you’re no better than John Garrett’’.

He pales at that and for a second Skye wishes John were still alive so she can kill him all over again.

When Ward didn’t come back into the room she confronted him at the Cybertek facility, she went looking and stumbled onto Garrett, it was a quick fight and she made him feel every single inch of the pain she inflicted. Heard his bones breaking, the screams echo off the walls, saw the life drain from his eyes as his chest lifted upon an inhale and never came back down. It felt right, something felt complete like everything came full circle as he died. 

After that she learned Ward had been captured and taken to a secure location, not even Tony could find him. So she rounded up Shield and they brought her here to the Playground three days ago and she’s been here ever since, watching over Ward and trying to convince these idiots that he’s not to blame here. Skye didn’t reach this road of understanding by some miracle, and it was surprisingly easy to accept Grant’s role in all this.

The dreams started shortly after she left the hotel with the Avengers, every time she slept or drifted off in a day dream it ended the same way. An older version of Ward telling his wife everything that John Garrett ever did to him, all the ugly details that made her sick to her stomach. Garrett preyed upon a troubled boy and instead of saving him he tormented him further for years, made him think every decision was his own when in fact it was John’s.

It wasn’t hard to come to a conclusion after that, in the four days she and Ward were apart before Cybertek, she and Tony were busy researching everything they could on him. While she already knew about the awful childhood he suffered they found numerous hospital visits for him as a young boy, the police report of the fire he set as a teen, the transcripts of his court date where his family pressed charges as much as they could on him.

Then he disappeared from the detention center courtesy of John Garrett, vanished off the face of the earth for five years before appearing at Shield like he’d been there all along. That’s why he soared so high above his classmates and other agents, Garrett had already taught him everything about torture, manipulation and how to kill someone. He tapped into that pre-existing darkness inside Ward and made him think it was an asset.

Skye couldn’t ignore the proof after that, the evidence was right there on the screen, and going off the conversation she had with Ward before he was captured, he had no idea what was done to him. That’s what makes brain washing such a successful tactic because the victim has no idea what’s happening, the abuser makes it so it’s never questioned, that’s how Garrett got away with it for so long. She could kick herself for not noticing it sooner, how the bruises he used to brush off were probably from that sick son of a bitch.

Now all she wants is to get him out of here but apparently that’s frowned upon, every time she asks Ward about it he just shakes his head. Not that he’s speaking much anyway, he just sits in the darkness of the cell and stares off into the distance. Ever since he learned Garrett died it’s like he’s folded in on himself, and Skye knows it’s because he has no idea who he is without his father figure. Quake has experience with depression and wonders if Ward has always lived with it, or if it’s a result of recent events.

It’s not hard either to reconcile the man she knew with the current one downstairs, because not everything was a lie, and she’s very familiar with doing something horrible to save someone you love. Is she still a bit upset? Yes but she’ll forgive him for it one day if she hasn’t already. How can she hate him for any of this? Ward was a victim who didn’t ask to be taken in by a powerful corrupt father figure, he thought he was doing the right thing, she can’t fault him for that.

‘’He’s not leaving Vault D Quake’’.

‘’We’ll see about that’’.

‘’I can make you leave if you don’t do what I ask’’.

Skye snorts and pulls out her phone, ‘’I don’t work for you Phil, but I’d love to see your agents try to escort me out’’.

She’s been in control of Shield’s entire system since she walked in here three days ago, every camera, computer, locked door, nothing escapes her notice, and Coulson knows it. 

Glaring at the people who claimed to be Ward’s friends but turned on him without even a second thought, she leaves the office and heads down to Vault D.

Sympathy and sadness fills her when she walks downstairs, absorbs the dim lights, the concrete walls, taps the screen of her phone and the white electronic wall covering Ward’s cell lifts, revealing his body in the same place she left it just a few minutes ago. Thick dark stubble lines his cheekbones, bags under those whiskey eyes, shoulders trembling as he sits on a cot with his hands behind his head. Doesn’t even look at her when she climbs into the cell and sits in front of him, the barrier completely gone, a silent offer to leave if he wants.

‘’I hate to break it to you but the prison scrubs aren’t doing it for me’’.

Skye has a feeling he hates her for killing John, though he’s never said.

‘’Just kidding, you’d be attractive wearing a paper bag’’.

He’s been working out practically nonstop since they placed him down here and she appreciates the view immensely, not that his looks matter at the moment, but even in this lonely dark place, he’s still beautiful. Gorgeous and sad and lost. Unsure if touching him will trigger a reaction Skye slowly lifts her hand in warning that she wants to hold his hand, knows the other version of her used to do this all the time, and Ward nods in permission.

‘’Come back to me Ward’’.

He inhales loudly and looks at the wall over her shoulder before quietly muttering, ‘’I don’t know how’’.

‘’We can leave right now, get away from this place’’.

‘’I can’t let you throw your life away for me’’.

‘’I’m not, I can help if you let me’’.

‘’I don’t need it’’.

‘’I found a therapist, he can be here in a few hours if you want to talk to him’’.

Clint and Natasha found him but that doesn’t really matter at the moment.

She rubs circles into his knuckles with her thumb to soothe and it works.

Ward’s tone is harsh but controlled when he replies, ‘’no thanks’’.

‘’Okay’’.

Surprise flickers before she gently reminds him, ‘’you always have a choice Ward, I’m not going to force you into anything’’.

He lays down on the cot that she had to provide pillows and blankets for, still holding her hand but looking up at the ceiling, ‘’you should leave me down here to rot’’.

‘’I’m not going to do that Grant’’.

‘’I fucked you to cloud your judgement, told John you needed a savior figure so that’s what I became, you should hate me just like the rest of them’’.

‘’Trying to piss me off in order to get me to leave isn’t going to work’’.

‘’Well you are known for your dramatic exits’’.

‘’Oh my god was that an attempt at humor? Do it again’’.

Skye feels a smile stretch across her lips but it dims with his response, ‘’you should forget about me, move on with your life, fall in love with someone else get married, have kids’’.

‘’That literally sounds like my worst nightmare’’.

‘’Sounds better than being stuck down here with me’’.

‘’That’s where we disagree’’.

‘’Or you could try to find a way back to that reality we dream about’’.

That gives her pause, ‘’what?’’

‘’I’ve been thinking about it a lot Skye and I don’t think we belong here’’.

Before she can ask him to elaborate the door opens even though she locked it herself and two bodies enter the room.

Melinda May and Bobbi Morse, Skye stands abruptly, reading the threat in the set of their shoulders.

‘’We were having a moment’’.

‘’Sorry to interrupt’’.

‘’I feel like you’re really not’’.

‘’Director Coulson says it’s time for Ward’s interrogation, we’ve let you delay it long enough’’.

Skye gags at the mention of the new Director Shield, Fury is going to regret that choice one day.

‘’Since interrogation really means torture I’m going to have to pass on that for him’’.

‘’Your Hydra boyfriend has information we need, we’ll extract it by whatever means necessary’’.

She knows because of the dreams that Shield tortured Ward for months while he was trapped down here, it’s not going to happen in this timeline.

‘’You’re going to have to go through me to do it’’.

‘’We thought you might say that’’.

The door slides open and twenty five Shield agents, Trip and Hunter among them fill the room, Skye grins and cracks her knuckles.

‘’That’s it? Doesn’t seem like a fair fight’’.

She looks at Trip, ‘’your face is too pretty for me to mess up’’.

‘’Wasn’t going to hit you anyway so return the favor’’.

He gets a wink in response while May rolls her eyes.

‘’Last chance to step aside Quake’’.

Grabbing her phone as she feels Ward stand up behind her, she immediately closes the barrier again and sets the device on a chair. 

‘’You know if you told me eight days ago I’d be defending Ward I wouldn’t have believed you, who would have thought huh?’’

Before the nearest agent can react Skye has already broken his arm and bashed his head into the table, his body hits the floor and she sighs, ‘’now it’s a party. Who’s next?’’

Five minutes later Skye stands among a sea of bodies, most are unconscious and some she had no choice but to kill, Trip is the only one who remains unharmed, leaning against the stairwell, gun lazily hanging at his side. Wiping a smidge of blood off her lip Skye stretches, reaches for her phone as the door opens once more and she tenses, relaxes immediately when the Black Widow and Iron Man walk down the stairs.

Romanoff surveys the scene for a half a second before checking Quake over for injuries, ‘’have fun?’’

There’s a reason Nat didn’t come down here when Shield attacked, she knew Skye needed this, to blow off steam, to let out all the anger and pain, the hopelessness and hurt.

‘’Could have been better’’.

Stepping over Bobbi’s body she walks over to Trip, ‘’do you believe in Ward or did you just not want to get your ass kicked?’’

‘’Maybe both’’.

‘’Scram’’.

Romanoff tells him and after another glance at Skye he obeys, and the trio is alone.

‘’What’s your plan here Cupcake, stay down here with Ward until what?’’

‘’Until he’s better, until he realizes he can live without John and everything he did wasn’t entirely his fault’’.

‘’And if he never wants to leave this cell? What if he’s punishing himself?’’

‘’I’m hoping the wonders of therapy will convince him otherwise’’.

‘’You haven’t left his side in days’’.

Nat comments and puts a hand on her arm, ‘’why don’t you get something eat, maybe shower and get some rest?’’

‘’I’m not leaving him’’.

‘’Clint will watch over him, he’s on his way right now’’.

Skye turns and removes the white bleach barrier from Ward’s view, and his panicked expression and pacing is the first thing she notices.

Then the relief as he drinks her in, like all of those Shield agents could have possibly harmed her.

‘’Come on Robot I’m better than them and you know it’’.

When he notices the two Avengers behind her he goes on the defense and Skye is quick to reassure him, ‘’it’s okay, they’re not going to hurt you, you’re safe’’.

Walking up to him and raising her hand, she places it against his face after his gives his approval and his entire body goes slack at her touch.

‘’If I leave for a few hours are you going to be okay? Barton will be here soon’’.

‘’Yes, I don’t need a babysitter’’.

‘’Debatable’’.

‘’I’ll be fine’’.

‘’Are you sure? I can’’-

‘’Go Skye, and for gods sake don’t come back’’.

Knowing he’s saying this out of the emptiness in his chest and doesn’t mean to hurt her, Skye doesn’t let the sting of his words show.

Leaning up on her toes she whispers, ‘’I love you’’.

Tears fill his eyes as he trembles but doesn’t say it back, not that she was expecting him to.

‘’I swear to god if anything happens to him I’m holding you two personally responsible’’.

Skye tells Romanoff and Stark as she walks up the stairs and locks down Vault D, not even Tony could get in if he tried.

An hour later ater after showering and eating a quick dinner, Skye finally drifts off in the dark bunk and wakes half an hour later with a gasp, covered in sweat. 

Because her head is clear, the fog has lifted, every single lost piece of her comes back restored and shines with gold and silver. Every confused glance at her beloved becomes filled with longing instead, every question is answered, each dream and flashback becomes reality once more because she _remembers._ Skye remembers who she is and how she got here, that the life she dreamed about was the one she belongs in and Alison Price sent her and Ward here as some twisted act of revenge. 

This is an alternate timeline Robin punished them with, they do not belong here, none of this is real, they have to go home. It all comes back to her in a rush, in a montage of memories from the first time she met Nat and the Avengers, what happened when she was eighteen, the first time she laid eyes on Ward, the ten years they spent together, their wedding day. Her brain flicks through each and every moment at rapid speed catching her up on what’s real and what isn’t.

Barton is dead, Steve is gone, her family exists here but doesn’t in her own timeline, everything is both wrong and right here.

She’s not Shield’s associate or the damaged girl looking for love in all the wrong places before she met Ward. She’s Quake, the Destroyer of Worlds, Director of Shield, and she has to go home. Pain at what she’s been through in this timeline enters her chest but she doesn’t have time to dwell on that right now, she needs to get to her husband. Who is reliving his worst nightmare and she just left him there, god knows what he’s going through right now.

Phil Coulson stands in his office at the Playground and hangs up the phone as May looks at him with interest, still recovering from her earlier wounds, ‘’you know Quake is never going to stand for this’’.

‘’Which is why we’re going to do it before she wakes up’’.

‘’What about Barton?’’

‘’He’s in the kitchen, now is our perfect shot’’.

‘’Better do this fast’’.

‘’The transport truck is already in place, call the team and tell them to meet me in Vault D. We’re going to escort Ward into the hands of his brother’’.

It’s a death sentence and they all know it.


	22. But I Knew You, Hand Under My Sweatshirt, Baby Kiss It Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward finally remember each other, face off Shield, reconnect, and start to figure out a way to get back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This specific Skyeward reunion is up there as my top favorites.
> 
> Remember that Skyeward look back in season 2 episode 18? Picture that here.
> 
> Also there are a few Ward lines in here that made me swoon, so enjoy.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

Bare feet on cold concrete, the sound of ocean waves, the taste of salt on lips, vanilla perfume and soft hair between fingers, six steps to one wall, six steps to the other. Scarred knuckles and bruises lining a familiar yet stranger’s body inside a cell that is made up of Grant Ward’s worst nightmares, a sealed door that he has no hope in escaping unless someone opens it, a cot with no pillow or blanket, no toilet, sink or mirror, a favorite technique used by Shield to make a prisoner go mad.

Without even opening his eyes he can tell you the exact length and width of Vault D, how many ceiling tiles are above his head, the exact measurements of every wall, every spare inch of the small space has lived inside his head for twelve years. Only now the difference is his brain isn’t empty or clouded with darkness and grief, Grant knows exactly who he is and isn’t losing every bit of self-worth he has over a man who never loved him at all.

Instead of hating himself for what happened with Shield and not saving John Garrett, the only thing Ward can see is Skye, only thing flashing through his skin is her eyes, her touch against his face, the sound of her voice when she told him she loved him. Without warning he lurched out of bed a few minutes ago and remembered exactly who he was, that Alison Price sent he and Skye here as some twisted act of revenge, hoping the past versions of themselves wouldn’t remember one another.

But there’s no way he could ever forget the way he feels about Skye, even when he didn’t fully remember her that pull was still there, to hold her, to simply be in every room she was in, to see her smile, doing anything so she’d be happy. Just like when he saw her for the very first time in Stark Tower ten years ago and in that bar months ago, he loved her at first sight. No matter what she does that’ll never change, their love will never end.

When Ward was a child his mother could always be counted upon to clutch his face with sharp red nails and tell him no one would ever love him, that he was worthless and undeserving of anyone ever caring about him. He believed her with the same childhood innocence in thinking your parents are always right, Grant grew up thinking he was incapable of giving or receiving love. It followed him into his teenage years and adulthood, a constant shadow that he’d never be good enough for anyone.

John Garrett cemented that believe through years of abuse and brain washing, Shield and Phil Coulson loved to remind Ward how much of an emotionless robot he was as well. Ward spent his entire life, nearly thirty years, fully accepting and believing that he wasn’t worthy of anything, much less someone else’s love. Then when he escaped Shield’s clutches and started working with Nick Fury, he stumbled upon someone unintentionally, and everything changed. 

He met Skye and she quickly turned his entire world around, changed the way he once thought about everything, himself, the universe, his life, she made him realize that he could be a good man. Now ten years later he knows without a doubt that his family, John Garrett and Shield were so wrong about him, about everything. He’s not a remorseless monster who wants to destroy everything in his wake, he’s not a weapon to be used whenever someone else pleases, and he’s not Garrett’s Golden Boy.

He’s just Grant Ward who dug himself out of the grave everyone in his life tried to bury him in, and he’s finally content in where he is, who he is. And he has Skye to thank for a lot of that, for proving his cold calculating mother wrong. Because the love he knows is warm like a fleeced coat in the middle of winter, like a blanket covering him soft and sweet, full of fire that burns him alive every time he wakes in the morning.

Skye’s love is a breath of fresh air where he once was drowning, a hand to hold in the middle of the night, a comforting presence at his side that will never leave or waver, she’s the rock to his storm, the person he can always turn to no matter what, the only one in the history of his life who has ever loved him so completely and fully without question. And it’s that assurance, that love, that carries him and gives him strength to exist in the cell that was once his own personal hell.

Because he knows both his wife and the woman who loves him here too, is coming for him, regardless if she remembers him or not. The memories are still rushing in like water on a loop in his brain, he’s lying on cot the cot one minute, then he’s brushing Skye’s hair back on their wedding day. He’s staring up at a dark ceiling one second, then in a flash he’s sitting in Skye’s office at the Inhuman HQ in New York, her head in his lap. Running a thumb down his wrist, he sees Skye’s smile behind his eyes and relaxes.

Because even though he’s temporarily stuck in Vault D in this universe, it won’t end the way it did back home. He’s not the same person he was back then, not falling apart without John Garrett, desperate for an escape, even though seeing his mentor just a week ago is still so fresh in his mind. He’s not the same man who ran head first at these same walls, or folded a piece of paper just right and pressed it into his skin.

He’s better after years of therapy and having a healthy and safe environment to heal from the wounds from his family, Garrett, Shield, and those that were self-inflected. Grant doesn’t have to wonder what would happen to that different version of himself if he was here all alone with no one to believe in him, if he didn’t have Kebo or Skye, he’d either be on the run for the rest of his life, or be dead in the dust somewhere with no one to mourn or miss him.

What a cruel thing that would be, to die with no one in the world to care at all.

Ward starts pacing the lines of the cell for something to do, the memories brushing against his temples. He can taste the coconut liquor they drank on the island on their honeymoon, feel the cool air on his skin in Scotland where they went on their ten year anniversary. Can picture Skye on their wedding day and he runs a hand down his left hand, missing the weight of the silver on his finger. Her hands frame his face in a hotel room, her mouth against his when she remembered him at Stark Tower.

_‘’I am not a good man Skye’’. ‘’Yes you are’’._

_‘’I was worried because I love you, you big stupid idiot’’._

_‘’It’s you Skye, it’ll always be you’’._

_‘’You’re staring’’. ‘’Am I not allowed to do that?’’_

_‘’Don’t ever ask me to say that I don’t love you’’._

_‘’No one in the world has ever loved anybody the way that I love you’’._

_‘’What I want is to stay here with you, and imagine the world outside doesn’t exist’’._

_‘’Is that an eternity ring? You’re only supposed to give me that after like fifty years of marriage’’. ‘’It’ll always be forever for me’’._

_‘’We’re Angelfish babe’’._

A love like theirs shouldn’t exist, Ward decides, it’s too powerful, has swept him away over a ten year period and he’s still basking in Skye’s storm, it’s the only place that has ever felt like home. It’s never been four walls and a backyard for him, it always has been and always will be Skye. He’s a better person because he’s had the privilege of loving her, without her he’d either be dead or doing god knows what. Ward would be half a person, missing part of his soul because it would always reside with Skye.

She isn’t the sole reason or purpose for his redemption, but she believed in him in a way no one else ever did before, shined light on the ghosts living inside his brain and accepted them, helped banish them away forever, didn’t run away screaming like so many others had. Even though doubt lingers against his ribs on whether she’ll forgive his actions in this universe, he knows at the end of this they’ll be together and figure out a way back home.

Because of the white barrier isolating him from the rest of the world is up, Ward doesn’t hear the rushed bare feet down the hall, the door of Vault D unlocked and yanked open, the body sprinting down the stairs, doesn’t see the shaking clammy hands grasping for the phone to unlock the cell. One second he’s alone and the next the barrier is sliding away and he tenses out of an old habit, his body preparing for harsh hate fueled words thrown his way, for a fight without Ward even having to think about it.

But there’s no need to brace for knuckles in his in his ribs, nails striking his face or Phil Coulson and Melinda May encouraging him to keep attempting to kill himself. Instead of coming face to face with the people who once tortured him that he now calls friends in his timeline, the lights comes into the cell and it’s like he’s been holding his breath for months and he can finally exhale. The pieces that Alison Price and Robin tried to steal by making him forget Skye, fall back into place at the sight of her.

It’s strange seeing her again because it both feels like it’s been weeks since he laid eyes on her, yet he technically just saw her minutes ago. The weight of the things he’s said and done in this timeline rest against his spine, wanting to drown him in guilt, but it’s like the real Grant was under water this entire time and now that other version is slowly sinking into the waves of the past. In this split second in time Ward realizes that the person he was in this timeline has no effect on his actions right now.

Sure the memories of what he’s lived through the past few months are present and scratching at his ankles, but that’s all they are, Special Agent Grant Ward that existed here feels like it was a dream that will slowly fade with time. The Ward that healed from his childhood trauma, survived losing Skye so many times, that was brain washed once again by an Inhuman, that went through the loss of his son, is here to stay, he’s the same man he has been since he first saw Skye all that time ago.

It’s like the world froze over everything covered in ice, a permanent winter in his heart since Robin sent them here, and now as he gazes at the only woman he’s ever loved, the sun breaks through the frost melting the snow, and summer shines through in a wave of brown hair and a familiar set of eyes that he has always loved. And even though they’re out of their own time and both Shield and Hydra will be coming after them now, he knows everything will work out just fine as long as he’s next to his wife.

They’re younger here of course, less worry lines and stress in their eyes, but Skye is brilliant and beautiful both here and back home, always has been. Ward feels his limbs loosen, his shoulders relax, but his hands ache in anticipation to touch, to hold her against his chest and remind his heart that she’s here, he didn’t lose her like Alison and Robin wanted him to. He watches her breathing change from labored no doubt from running down here, to an uneven split rhythm at the sight of him.

They drink each other in, check for injuries like they have a thousand times before, reacquaint themselves with the one they love just like they have for every other reunion. He sees Skye running into his arms at Stark Tower after Shield made her forget him years ago, feels her embrace when he came home after leaving her for the first time, her fingers cupping his cheeks when he returned to her side the second time, her legs around his waist when she appeared from that parallel universe Robin sent her to the first time.

In Stark Tower after Thanos won and Ward didn’t know if she faded into dust or not, the relief in his bones when she jumped into his arms as he left the elevator. Last year when an Inhuman named Caitlin killed Skye and the only reason she came back was because of the GH-325 serum he found, as he sat by her hospital bed and she finally opened her eyes, he kissed her face and swore he’d never let anything take her from him again.

At the Playground when she became Director of Shield after she left him, he walked into the underground base with Rosalind Price and saw her for the first time after months and months apart. He was half dead back then, only living to get through minute by minute, focused on saving her, seeing her again broke and stitched him back togheter, he never wanted to run into her arms more than he did that day. While that specific reunion was bittersweet, it set into motion them finding one another once more.

And their most recent reunion after being separated for a year over the loss of their son, when she came back to him in their home in Montana, he clutched her for dear life in that kitchen and prayed to every god he’d ever heard of that he could hold onto her for the rest of time. They’ve spent ten years loving, losing and finding each other, and each reunion reminds them both how precious and rare this love they found is, and they’ll do anything to maintain, protect and nourish it.

‘’Please tell me you know who I am’’. She says, hands shaking.

‘’Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?’’ His words break the silent shocked spell and Skye makes a sobbing noise before rushing towards him, at the same time he’s already moving, always on the same wavelength, and they meet one another in the middle of the cell. Muscle memory has his arms wrapping around her back and squeezing, burying his face in her hair, he doesn’t have to think about it, the responses are automatic, natural as breathing.

He holds her close and another sigh leaves him, all the events of this lifetime falling away as she runs her hands down his spine, up his shoulders, breathes his name and he’s missed her so. Skye clutches him tightly her nails pressing into his skin but he doesn’t complain, holds her even tighter when she angles up and wraps her legs around his waist. Skye rests her face against his neck her lips tracing his pulse point and Ward kisses her hair, the top of her head, her forehead before closing his eyes.

The world is back on its axis, the suns are allowed to set once more, setting him free from an endless night where they didn’t remember each other. Skye moves her head to look up at him and he wipes the tears underneath her eyes with his thumbs, she does the same and her touch against his face has him breaking again. No words need to be exchanged, everything they need to know is right in between them as Ward kisses her forehead, her eyelids, her nose.

This embrace, this moment says, 

_‘I love you, I missed you’._

_‘Never leave me again’._

_‘I’ll keep you safe’._

_‘We’re going to be okay’._

_‘I love you too’._

‘’Hi’’.

He says weakly, sniffling and running a hand up her back, running it through her long hair.

‘’Hi’’.

It’s a half laugh, half sob, and Ward kisses the space between her eyebrows.

‘’Are you okay?’’

‘’I should be asking you that’’.

‘’I’m fine now’’.

Her fingers inch up his spine before catching the nape of his neck and holding on.

‘’Let’s get you out of here’’.

Remembering where he is and that Shield could come down at any moment, he lets Skye go and they walk out of the cell hand in hand.

A much better ending than the last one he had here.

‘’I’m going to stab Coulson in his goddamn face when I find him’’.

Smirking, he follows Skye up the stairs and she pauses at the very top by the door.

‘’We don’t know if the Coulson from our world would die too if you did that’’.

‘’I don’t care’’.

He strokes her bare ring finger, ‘’yes you do’’.

Skye and Coulson are not exactly friends back home, but aren’t enemies anymore.

‘’I have matches in my pocket and there’s probably a can of gasoline around here somewhere, do you want to set this place on fire yourself or do you want me to quake it?’’

‘’Why do you have matches?’’

‘’I don’t really think that’s important right now’’.

‘’We don’t have time to find gasoline’’.

‘’Oh I can make time if you need me to’’.

God he’s missed her, he kisses her forehead, forever loving the knowledge that she’d do anything for him if he asked.

‘’I know you would’’.

He stares down at her, runs a thumb along the path of her cheek, ‘’I love you’’.

Smiling she says, ‘’I love you too, always’’.

Even though he knows there’s a slim possibility she’ll resent him for his actions here, he still needs to know, ‘’forgive me?’’

Needing no context at what he’s talking about, Skye frowns, ‘’there’s nothing to forgive Grant’’.

Guilt over hurting her and betraying Shield again licks at his spine, ‘’please?’’

Deep brown eyes swim in salt water as her hands grasp his knuckles, ‘’fine, I forgive you’’.

A small bit of that light she harnesses shines through the darkness in his head, ‘’thank you’’.

Her tone turns serious, not to be argued with when she replies, ‘’it was never your fault in the first place’’.

Kissing her cheek then taking a deep breath he faces the place that still causes him problems all these years later.

‘’Quake it’’.

She did once before in their timeline, it took Shield months to repair the damages.

Smiling Skye responds, ‘’yay’’.

Before raising a hand and doing what she’s known for.

The walls in front of them break and crumble, glass shatters, the cell folds in and crumbles, the entire Playground rumbles and shakes, the lightbulbs flicker before exploding in a shower of sparks, and when the smoke clears after a few moments destruction lies in a thousand pieces around them. They both feel relief swim through their veins and for Ward it’s easier to breathe, staring at a place that once tormented him being wrecked and ruined beyond repair.

Holding out a hand Skye leads him out the door, locks it before quaking it too, it crashes down the stairs and she has the doorway crack and cave in on itself, splitting the concrete and dry wall. Knowing that will alert Coulson they’re quiet as they walk down the hall, round corners, heading for the exist as Skye tells him there’s a car waiting at the edge of the property.

They pause in a curved hallway at the sound of voices and heavy footsteps, Skye leans so she’s halfway in front of him, for ten years he’s tried to shift her away so she doesn’t put herself in danger in this attempt to protect him. Skye always gives the same annoyed look when he does this because they both know the best defense if something comes at them are he powers, sighing in acceptance Ward drags his knuckles lightly down her cheek, frowns at the black and purple bruises staining her face.

Pausing her defensive stance she holds his wrist, taps his skin with her thumb and he easily reads the message in her eyes, _‘talk later’._ It’s odd because Ward thinks this reunion, this coming back to themselves and remembering who they are, should be a struggle, there should be confusion laced with new memories and old, but it’s not. He can’t speak for Skye but for him it’s as if he’s been asleep this entire time, watching a dream unfurl and now he’s awake, in control again.

Kissing her nose Ward listens for who is down the hallway while Skye presses a knife into his hand, they both know this will inevitably end in a fight. Coulson’s voice rings out causing Skye to tense, her fingers brushing at the gun on her hip, several agents are with him probably heavily armed as they stop walking and Ward wonders why, he checks the camera feed on Skye’s phone and the Avengers are blocking Coulson’s way at the end of the hall, Nat at the head.

‘’What’s the meaning of this?’’

It’s Barton who speaks up and Ward feels his throat tighten, grief swimming in his veins, it’s been so long since he’s heard or seen from his friend, who sacrificed himself to save the world from Thanos.

‘’You really thought you could sneak a prisoner out of here without us knowing?’’

‘’Considering the fact Quake just broke him out the point is moot, but yes. And I wasn’t sneaking anything, Ward was going to get exactly what he deserved, Senator Christian Ward should decide his fate’’.

The mention of his brother doesn’t cause Grant to shake with anxiety anymore like it once did, Skye squeezes his hand. 

‘’Getting what he deserves? By who’s standards, yours? He deserves a hell of a lot better than this man’’.

‘’We’re not having this discussion, we’re going to find Skye, take Grant Ward back into custody whether the three of you like it or not’’.

Stark raises his hand, standing between Romanoff and Barton, ‘’I’m not involved’’.

‘’Tony’’-

Melinda May flanks Coulson’s left side and cuts Barton off, ‘’are you three really defending him because your precious Skye told you to?’’

Stark answers, ‘’yes’’ at the same time the other two Avengers say, ‘’no it’s because it’s the right thing to do’’.

‘’Grant Ward is a traitor, a liar and a murderer’’-

‘’So are you, so is every single person in this building, Shield is an organization full of spies Phil’’.

He ignores Nat, ‘’he will be sent to Senator Ward to await his trial and punishment for the crimes he committed’’.

‘’That’s a death sentence and you know it Phil’’.

‘’Not my problem’’.

‘’It’s about to be’’.

Tension laces the air and Ward nearly smiles, even here the Avengers defend him and they don’t even really know him.

‘’Stand down Agent Romanoff’’.

‘’Not a chance, and I don’t work for you’’.

May crosses her arms, ‘’come on Nat are you really going to side with a psychopath?’’

The Black Widow’s face grows cold, ‘’the only psychopath I see here is the man who is sending a survivor back to his abuser’’.

None of the Avengers have ever called him a victim, something he appreciates even more now.

‘’For the love of god you sound like Skye’’.

‘’There’s a reason for that’’.

‘’He’s a traitor! He betrayed Shield, Fury, this team, your precious Skye, am I the only one who remembers that?’’

‘’Ward did what he did as a result of brain washing and a lifetime of abuse, not everything was his fault’’.

Barton answers, hands itching at the bow on his back.

It took a long time for Ward to accept that, to understand what Garrett did to him and that he never loved him at all.

It’s Nat who speaks up next, ‘’both Skye and I have done far worse things than Ward, you going to throw us in a cell too?’’

Coulson sighs, ‘’this conversation is over, Grant Ward is being escorted into the custody of his brother’’-

‘’His abusive older brother that you know all about, Grant’s past is in your files yet you’re still willing to send him back into the hands that hurt him’’.

‘’It’s what he deserves’’.

The Black Widow’s chilling smile has everyone taking a step back, ‘’it’s not going to happen Phil, this transport is cancelled’’.

He snorts, ‘’on who’s authority?’’

Skye steps away from the wall, into the hall with a dozen or so of top Shield agents, deadly assassins and Specialists who aren’t known for their mercy, her chin raised and says, ‘’mine’’.

This moment has happened before numerous times in the ten years they’ve been together, Skye protecting him from a threat, staring danger in the face both because she can take it, and because she doesn’t want him hurt. His wife in a blaze of glory with fire and violence in her eyes, all fir him, she’s the only person who has walked through flames both literal and metaphorical for him. To this day Ward still has no idea what the hell he did to deserve her.

Walking out of the shadows Ward joins her, only to be greeted by guns pointed at them, not that he expected anything less. Fifteen agents including May, Bobbi, Lance Hunter and Coulson, not that Gant is worried about him when this breaks out in a fight. The transport team that was supposed to deliver him to Christian that arrive on the opposite end of the hall boxing the Avengers in between the exit and Shield, are the same men that actually did the deed all those years ago.

A small bit of anxiety makes itself known in his chest, a flux of nervous energy unfolds and Skye, though not breaking eye contact with Coulson, reaches back and brushes her fingers against his, it grounds him to the present, reminds him what happened over a decade ago will not happen again. He will never be at the mercy of someone else, and if he can’t prevent that himself, Skye certainly will. The heart monitor strapped to her wrist, the accessory she’s worn for thirteen years, beats evenly and steady as she stares down their enemies.

‘’You have three seconds to get the hell out of my way’’.

Phil almost smirks, ‘’I’m not intimidated by you’’.

It’s a lie and they all know it.

‘’Yes you are’’.

Bobbi shakes her head, ‘’never thought I’d see the day where the legendary Quake defends a Nazi’’.

‘’I don’t think any of you actually know the meaning of that word’’.

‘’Technically Hydra broke off from the Nazi ideologies they started with back in the 1920’s, the 21st century version of Hydra is more about getting out from under Shield’’.

Ward’s comment is met with silence and dirty looks while Skye replies, ‘’you’re not really helping babe’’.

Hunter rolls his eyes, ‘’Hydra is all Nazis, every last one of them, no one should ever forget it’’.

Grant sighs, ‘’yeah sure don’t listen to the man that was brain washed into the organization for years and knows exactly what they want and stand for, makes sense’’.

‘’Babe’’.

He forgot how annoying Shield was before, how close minded and self-righteous these people used to be.

‘’Let them go Coulson, this doesn’t have to turn ugly’’.

Skye glances at Barton and a spark of sorrow lights her eyes before it’s wiped clean, right now they don’t have time to grieve, to mourn, to feel even a little joy at seeing their friend again.

‘’He’s a criminal, I can’t just let him walk’’.

The floor below them rumbles and Skye spreads her arms out away from her body and every Shield agent tenses as she says, ‘’if you want to live, that’s exactly what you’re going to do’’.

‘’You’re not going to hurt anyone’’.

She laughs at May, ‘’yes I am’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Here’s what’s going to happen, you’re going to let Ward go or I will kill every single person in this building’’.

There’s a brief pause and when no one moves to obey her command she cocks her head to the side, ‘’fine we’ll do it my way’’.

Barton, Stark and Romanoff subtly move out of range and Skye wastes no time in raising one hand at the threat. The bodies go flying under the weight of her powers and the ones that escaped are quickly brought down by her fists. Grant joins the fray, watching her back and taking out every man in sight, the blade in his hand is soon covered in blood and the scent of sweat and fear fills the air. Bullets fire towards them and Quake is quick to stop them in their tracks, either shattering or sending them back to their owners.

Then it clears, calms down and soon it’s just the Avengers, Skye, Ward and Coulson staring each other down. Skye has a gun in his face, bodies on the floor all around them, scarlet smearing the walls, and an alarm starts going off from somewhere to the left. Grant cleans off the knife and rests a hand against Skye’s back as a reminder this isn’t the Phil she knows, he hasn’t reached a point of understanding yet, still so full of hatred and anger here.

She sighs dramatically and slams the gun across his temple instead, he falls to the ground in a heap leaving the Avengers alone. But it won’t be for long, the Playground is full of other agents and that alarm will bring them all right here. Knowing time is not on their side Ward nudges Skye towards the now free exit but she doesn’t budge, her gaze fixed on Hawkeye. Before he can make a snide comment at what she’s staring at, she’s running towards him and pulling him in for a hug.

‘’What are we chopped liver?’’ Tony asks Nat who gets a curious look on her face as she drinks in both Skye and Ward before her, they’ve changed in subtle ways before her eyes since the last time she saw them, and Grant knows she’s going to eventually put together that they don’t belong here. They’ll have time for that conversation later, right now they need to get going, the feel of these prison scrubs, Vault D so fresh in his mind, Ward feels his control slipping.

While the scars from Shield have long since healed and he isn’t panicking like he would have years ago, the horrors of what he went through especially since he had to relive it for three days, won’t just pack up and leave like he wants them to. The guilt he accepted and buried long ago at betraying Coulson, Team Bus and Shield as a whole, starts digging its way to the surface. And while it doesn’t sting and burn and claw the way it once did, it’s still there flaring up, demanding to be felt.

‘’You okay Cheekbones?’’ Stark asks and Ward nods as Skye pulls away from Clint and he asks what the hug was for, she just shakes her head as Nat tells them to get going. Holding out her hand as they quickly check each other for injuries, she pulls him to the front door, quakes it open, the heavy metal bomb proof doors shatter and break, they walk out to cold air and freedom. Grant takes a deep breath as it starts to snow, ice filling his lungs and landing on his bare arms, the sting not bothering him at all. 

It’s nighttime, the sun has long since set, the woods around them dark reminding him of their property in Montana as Skye leads him into the direction of the getaway car, her hand warm inside his own. She stops suddenly the black SUV hidden behind a few trees, he’s about to ask what’s wrong because while he can’t see or hear anyone, she can sense with her powers if a body is around. When she turns to him shivering, she’s only in socks, a black shirt and a pair of cotton shorts, clearly in a rush to get to him earlier.

Wishing he had a jacket, about to peel off the green scrub top to put around her, when Skye cups his face, her eyes full of loss and guilt. Confused because she has nothing to feel bad about, if anyone should feel guilt in this scenario it’s him, tears swim in those brown irises, the ones he’s been lost in for ten years now and wants to stay that way for the rest of his life. Wrapping his arms around her for warmth and comfort, presses his face into her neck and waits, knows she wants to speak first.

‘’God, I’m so sorry’’.

It’s pointless to say she has nothing to apologize over, the guilt she feels is real and nothing he says will take that away, even if he believes she’s innocent in all this, she won’t agree.

‘’It’s okay’’.

‘’No its not, I hurt you’’.

She strokes the back of his neck before drifting over his face, the bruises she inflicted just days ago still present.

He’s been through worse and doesn’t hold what happened in that hotel room against her.

‘’You didn’t know, didn’t understand me yet, it’s okay’’.

‘’Stop giving me a free pass for nearly killing you’’.

‘’You wouldn’t have and we both know it’’.

Even in her anger at him being Hydra, she wouldn’t have stopped his heart.

He holds her face between his hands, ‘’I hurt you too’’.

‘’That doesn’t count, and it wasn’t really you anyway’’.

‘’Take your own advice sweetheart’’.

A mix of a sob and a laugh leaves her as she shakes her head, wraps both arms around his neck, ‘’still love me?’’

‘’Always’’.

He holds her close, snow falling down harder and whispers, ‘’I forgive you’’.

Even though there’s nothing to forgive, he knows she still needs to hear it, the same way he wanted the same thing when she came for him in Vault D.

Her body relaxes in his arms as she rests her forehead against his own, ‘’I can’t believe we lost each other’’.

The last thought he had before coming to this alternate universe rings through his head, _’Skye I love you, I’ll find you’._

‘’We didn’t’’.

‘’Alison literally made us forget the last ten years with each other, I’m going to kill that bitch when we get home’’.

‘’No matter what happened these past few months, I think there was always a part of that version of me that remembered you, no matter how hard he tried to bury it, bury me’’.

She strokes the stubble on his cheeks and replies, ‘’same’’.

Holding a hand against the back of her neck he asks, ‘’do you honestly think I’d forget you? You are burned into my skin and bones, there is no me without you, hasn’t been in ten years’’.

She stares at him for a moment, sees the love glowing in her eyes and then kisses him.

Her hands cupping his face, his arms curled around her back, it’s a new kiss, an old one, something they’ve done a thousand times before. But this is a reunion kiss, one reserved specifically for these moments when they’ve been apart for a long amount of time and have finally come back together. It’s a reminder that the impossible and rare love they’ve found is worth every fight, every night spent alone, every painful moment it took to find each other again.

Grant tastes salt on his tongue and doesn’t know if from his tears or hers, kisses her until the cold turns his nose numb, until her hands have slipped beneath the waistband of the prison scrubs and dig into his bare hips. Pulling away knowing they have all the time in the world to reconnect once they get going, Ward plants a kiss against her forehead, runs both hands through her hair as they catch their breath and her fingers settle on the small of his back instead.

‘’I love you’’. He mutters against her skin and she sighs breathlessly, ‘’I missed you’’. A moment, a look passes between them of a hundred unspoken things they don’t need to say, she nods and they head over to the SUV, she climbs into the driver’s seat while he takes the passenger side. He’s not in the best state to drive, another thing he didn’t need to say aloud, she just knew. Keeping the headlights off and turning the heating on, Skye backs away and heads out onto the road.

No street lights mark their way but Skye knows where to go, they’ve been driving for a few minutes when she reaches into the back seat and shoves a black bag into his lap. Unzipping it and searching through the contents, she’s packed a change of clothes for him, dark sweatpants and a light blue Henley, six bottles of water, his favorite snacks, a thick coat, socks and sneakers. Reaching over and kissing her brow, he changes quickly, downs two bottles of water and a pack of peanuts after she declined his offer to take anything.

Skye always looks out for him, protects him even when he feels like he doesn’t deserve it, he loves her so much, much more than a person should be allowed to ever love someone else. He falls asleep while holding her hand, when he wakes they’re in a parking lot and the sun is starting to rise, Skye has parked and is typing on her phone. He rolls his head just to look at her, the orange rays of the sun illuminating her face and he thanks god they remembered each other, the love the have, the life they share.

She pulled over and changed at some point because now she’s wearing a dark shirt, black leather jacket and jeans, combat boots, her brown hair curled down past her shoulders.

‘’You’re staring’’.

‘’Am I not allowed to do that?’’

Smiling she reaches over and taps his face, ‘’you can do whatever you want’’.

It’s a subtle reminder he has a choice again, that he’s not under John Garrett’s thumb anymore.

‘’I booked us a suite, we’ll shower, sleep, get some dinner, then go to one of your lock boxes tonight and get on a bus, from there we’ll fly to New York’’.

Just like back home Ward has safety deposit boxes planted all over the world with cash, fake ID’s and passports.

‘’You don’t want to involve Tony’’.

It’s not a question because clearly they’re not taking one of Stark’s private jets.

‘’We’re in an alternate timeline and not planning on staying, I don’t want to bring him or any of the Avengers into my shit and then just leave them to clean up the mess once we’re gone’’.

‘’They’re already involved’’.

‘’And what happened in the Playground is the last time they will be, except for when Tony gets us back home, that’s all I want from him. I don’t want any of them to defend us from Shield or Hydra’’.

‘’We both know they’re going to anyway’’.

She sighs, slides the phone in her pocket, ‘’don’t remind me, you ready?’’

Nodding he exits the vehicle and faces a five star hotel, one Tony would stay it if he needed to.

‘’Figured the last place Shield would look is a Presidential Suite in Boston’’.

Ward grabs the bag with the prison scrubs and the other one out of the trunk that holds their extra clothing and weapons, he takes her hand and they walk in the lobby together.

After checking in with a fake name they head into the suite that consists of a fireplace, two bedrooms, a large living and kitchen space with a dining room, two bathrooms, a wide balcony, and chilled champagne on ice on the marble coffee table. Skye kicks her boots off and heads straight for the alcohol while Ward gets a fire going, once it’s in full blaze he unzips the bag and tosses the green colored scrubs into the flames.

Stares at the various shades of red and orange, feels the heat wrap around his hands and finally allows himself to dwell. Thinks about how he got closure with Garrett when the team went back in time to stop Thanos, and how he never expected to see his father figure again. The feeling of being controlled by him again makes Ward’s skin crawl, being someone else’s puppet is not a string he wanted sewn into his back ever again.

The feel of John’s fist in his face, his ribs, those cruel words he once took as caring dig into his spine like claws now, Grant feels light headed as if he’s bleeding out all over this plush white carpet and John is holding the knife. All the people who trusted him flash through his mind, he hurt them all over again, even killed Victoria Hand and Eric Koenig here just like back home. Coulson had every right to be angry and bitter, they all did, he deserves it.

The words his therapist has said over the years take over now before the guilt can swallow him alive, and Grant remembers that John was an evil bastard who brain washed and abused him for years. The things he did in the name of defending Garrett were not his fault, and he’s long since accepted the things he cannot change, he’s not the same man who was lost after John died, that version of him has been buried for years now.

He’s taking a deep breath when Skye’s arms wrap around him from behind, hands settle against his abs, head resting below his shoulder blade. ‘’Brooding?’’ Though her tone is light there’s deep concern behind it, Grant just nods and lets her hold him for a while. Eventually she pulls him into the shower, takes off his clothes and starts the water, the large mirrors and bleached white tiles and walls fill up with steam as it heats up.

Skye turns around and sheds her clothes, he copies the movement and they step under the spray, the shower is large enough for at least eight people, a bench is carved into both sides for sitting, multiple shelves line the marble walls for soaps and shampoo, the glass doors slide close, encasing them in this moment, this room like no one else exists in the world. Skye turns so he’s under the hot water and she’s facing him, runs both hands down his biceps.

‘’We’re so young here’’.

He smiles, strokes below her collarbone where a scar is supposed to rest, but fresh blank skin is all that greets him, he can’t say he misses that particular mark, proof that he truly lost her once.

‘’You’re missing a scar’’.

Her nails flick at his shoulder where a knife got too close on a mission once.

‘’So are you’’.

She groans at his fingers resting above her heart, ‘’that one is my least favorite’’.

‘’Yeah mine too’’.

Placing his hands on her shoulders he switches their positions and grabs a bottle of shampoo.

Wrist hanging over her head, Grant freezes, gripping the blue bottle so hard Skye squeezes his fingers, ‘’hey, what’s wrong?’’

Not sure why it didn’t occur to him before and he’s just now noticing, he stares at the blank canvas of his left and right wrists and feels his chest coil and tighten.

‘’This is the first time in twelve years I’ve seen my wrists without those scars’’.

Fingers shaking he touches the center of his forehead where another self-inflicted scar is supposed to reside, done by a lost soul who thought he was a monster and everyone else said he was too.

‘’You are not that person anymore Ward, Shield was wrong about you and so was Garrett, you’re so’’-

‘’All those people I hurt, I killed, because he told me to. I listened to a self-obsessed delusional narcissist and tried to kill myself twice because he made me unable to live without him, without orders’’.

‘’And I killed him for it’’.

He pauses at that, remembering, and does not hold it against her. 

When Robin sent her to an alternate timeline the first time Garrett shot the Ward that existed there, Skye finally got revenge for that, and she’s always wanted to punish John for the things he did.

‘’Garrett preyed on an innocent fifteen year old boy, none of this is your fault, it never was’’.

‘’I know’’.

‘’I just, living through it again is hard’’.

‘’I understand’’.

She always has, every part of him.

‘’You saved me’’.

Skye rolls her eyes as he recovers from the surprise and starts shampooing her hair.

‘’I did not’’.

‘’I didn’t attempt to hurt myself in this lifetime because you were there, you believed in me, if someone did that for me back home, just one person, I wouldn’t have drowned down there in that cell’’.

She wipes the water away from his eyelashes, kisses his shoulder.

Ward has started to think that coming to this parallel universe could be another thread and needle to the wounds that throb against his soul sometimes. Because when he looks back Skye didn’t just stop him from hurting himself in Vault D, she saved him from his brother, killed the goddess Lorelai who sexually assaulted him in their world, and killed the man who tortured and abused him for years since he was a teenager. 

Because she loves and believes in him and just wants him to be happy, has always protected and defended him even though he’s never needed it. Ward rinses the shampoo from her hair and kisses the top of her head, cherishing and treasuring the other half of his soul. He tells her all of his realizations and she just smiles, tells him he’s worth it, worth fighting for every second of the day, that she loves him and would do it all again if it meant he was happy, healthy and whole.

He’s applying conditioner into her soft hair when an unwelcome thought enters, if she’s afraid of him, he brushes it away because she’s seen the darkness under his skin countless times and never shied away from it. Ward is secure in her feelings, her character and their relationship to obliterate the thought, but he must make an unpleasant expression because Skye catches it and starts stroking his back.

‘’What?’’

He rinses out the conditioner and grabs the bottle of vanilla scented body wash, ‘’nothing’’.

‘’Grant’’.

‘’For a second I just wondered if after everything you’d be scared of me, that’s all. I know you aren’t’’.

She snorts and places both hands on the back of his neck, pulling him down to her height while simultaneously standing on her tip toes.

‘’I’ve never been afraid of you’’.

Not even when Chelsea controlled his mind and he tried to kill her multiple times, not whenever he doubts himself or when he has nightmares that leave him screaming, lost and shaking.

‘’I know’’.

Running her fingers through his hair she reminds him, ‘’I know who you are Grant Ward, and you’re good’’.

He kisses her in gratitude, in love, overjoyed and grateful that once again under impossible circumstances they found each other.

She switches their positions again so he’s under the warm water and she’s grabbing the shampoo bottle, kisses his forehead gently, soothingly, another reminder he’s not all alone in his anxieties, he’s not in that place anymore and never will be again.

An hour later after they’ve changed into soft cotton lounging clothes, the fireplace still going, their room service dinner eaten and put up, Ward is lying on the couch his head in Skye’s lap and she’s playing with his hair. He’s thinking about the last time they were this close back home before Alison sent them here, when Skye’s fingers tap on his pulse point and her leg beneath him twitches with the need to bounce, her only tell that she’s nervous.

Eyes closed basking in her warmth, he reaches up and holds her flighty fingers, ‘’what’s wrong?’’

‘’You’re not even looking at me, there’s no way you can know if there’s something wrong’’.

‘’Don’t need to look at you to know sweetheart, what’s wrong?’’

When she’s silent for a few moment he squeezes her hands in encouragement, ‘’I was thinking about what you said in the shower, if I was afraid of you. Guess I should be asking you that’’.

He doesn’t even have to think about it, ‘’no’’.

‘’I figured I just needed to hear you say it’’.

There’s something else, he can hear it in her voice and waits patiently for her to open up.

‘’Did I ruin the way you see me?’’

Ward is so taken aback by the question that he has no idea how to respond for a moment.

‘’What?’’

Now he sits up to face her, sees the uncertainty in her eyes.

‘’I mean the people we were here took forever to fall in love and it’s not like I waited for you or anything’’.

She’s trying to dance around the fact that the versions of themselves that did not remember one another, slept with other people before they got together.

Seeing the self-blame take over her expression Ward holds her face between his palms, his tone strong as steel and iron when he says, ‘’no’’.

Gazes into those brown eyes he loves so much so she knows he’s being serious, ‘’nothing could ever change the way I see you, ever’’.

She holds onto his wrists, that blame bleeding into sadness, ‘’Grant you know how broken I was before we met back home, I was the same way here, I never wanted you to see that version of me’’.

Ten years ago Skye used to sleep with shitty men to shut off her brain, to try to make herself feel something, she used them to try to forget the things she’d done. Grant understands that part of her too, that feeling of being so alone and just wanting a warm body to rest against, to lose yourself in someone in order to forget about the harshness of your reality if only for a little while. They both spent countless nights in hotel rooms staring at ceilings and hating themselves.

Applying just a small bit of pressure so she’ll focus back on him, on who they really are he says, ‘’these aren’t our real bodies so if you feel guilty about that, don’t, none of this is real remember?’’

Even if they were he still wouldn’t hold anything that happened here against her.

‘’And it doesn’t matter to me the things you did before we met, it never has, I love every version, every single piece of you’’.

Her face crumbles and then she’s tackling him into the sofa, gripping his face and kissing him hard, ‘’I love you’’.

She whispers against his lips, straddling him as he pulls away and grips her thighs, ‘’there is nothing wrong with you, there never has been’’.

‘’Oh my god you’re going to make me cry, shut up’’.

Smiling he kisses her lightly, ‘’I missed you’’.

‘’Never could live without me could you?’’

‘’No’’.

‘’Same’’.

Skye kisses him again and this time there’s new heat to it, she’s pulling off his shirt and he’s sliding off her leggings, rises off the couch with her in his arms and heads to the bedroom. Lays her on the king size bed and just stares for a second, caught up in the reality that they didn’t lose each other forever like Alison and Robin wanted them to. Skye pauses taking off his sweat pants and looks up at him, her expression revealing everything he’s feeling too.

‘’You know right before we came here I promised myself I’d find you’’.

Leaning up on her elbows she says, ‘’congratulations, please collect your reward’’.

Then takes off her bra and lowers his head.

Minutes later she’s atop him again nothing between them, about to move sweat misting their skin when he asks, ‘’are you sure?’’

‘’Was I not being clear?’’

Placing his hands on her hips, something he’s done so many times before and nothing is technically different here, but he still wants to make certain she’s alright.

Skye places both hands on his chest and says, ‘’I’m sure, I missed you, I love you’’.

And that’s all he needs to hear.

Hours later the sheets a mess, the comforter and pillows strewn all across the floor, clothes scattered in different places, Grant holds Skye who is lying across his chest, legs tangled with his own, ear pressed against his heart, sleeping peacefully. With light quiet fingers he strokes her forehead, her nose, reacquainting himself with every shadow and curve of her cheekbones, never wants to forget the lines of her face again.

He kisses her bare shoulder, content after what feels like months of being out of place, like someone set him on a shelf to use later and forgot he was there, has been collecting dust ever since. He falls asleep with a smile on his face, the love of his life back in his arms.

The next day they’re in the lobby of a building where he keeps a lockbox filled with cash, a bus station across the street and a coffee shop next store. Skye is standing beside him having already hacked into their security system, the coffee shop’s and the bus station’s too, wiping them from the camera feed and using a blank video instead on a loop so if Shield or Hydra were to somehow look, they’d see no evidence of Quake or Ward.

They walk to the lockbox her hand in the back pocket of his black jeans, he unlocks the locker, grabs the cash, burner phones and fake ID’s, she slips them into the pack on his back and they walk out undetected, no one giving them a passing glance. She heads to the bathroom after shoving him in the direction of the bus, he’d rather wait for her inside but grants her demands, gets on the Greyhound and grabs two seats in the back, eyes missing nothing, taking in every single person in the area.

Which is why Bobbi Morse walking down the aisle with sunglasses and a hat on does not escape his notice, he snorts and laughs to himself, Shield should have sent agents he’s never met before if they wanted to catch him off guard. He’s wondering how they found him because neither he nor Skye made any mistakes since they left the Playground, when she sits right down next to him, Hunter taking a seat in the front by the door.

‘’Ward’’.

‘’Bobbi’’.

‘’Want to know how we found you?’’

‘’Not really’’.

‘’Skye used her powers last night, did you two forget Shield tracks seismic waves?’’

She didn’t use her powers to take down a target, but Bobbi doesn’t need to know that.

‘’So here’s what’s going to happen you traitorous son of a bitch, you’re going to get up and follow Hunter and I off this bus into the Shield SUV waiting for you. And then you’re going to rot in the cell your brother puts you in for the rest of your pathetic miserable life’’.

Ward can’t help it, he laughs, ‘’no thanks’’.

‘’You don’t have a choice’’.

‘’I do actually, and I can promise you if you try anything you won’t make it off this bus alive, because if I don’t kill you my wife will’’.

Surprise flickers across Bobbi’s face at the word wife, but she quickly recovers.

‘’You’re delusional’’.

‘’I’m really not, but you don’t understand that and that’s okay, I’m used to dealing with people who can’t see the world in anything other than what they want to’’.

‘’Do you ever shut up? Put your hands behind your back’’.

‘’Again, no thank you’’.

Before she can respond Skye is walking up the steps of the bus carrying snacks, coffees, and spots Hunter immediately before seeing Bobbi as well.

Morse presses a gun into his side and Ward sighs in annoyance at the predictability of it all.

Skye pockets the snacks, her attention fixed on Bobbi as she walks towards them.

As soon as Quake reaches them Ward takes the coffees in one hand while she rests her own on his shoulder and tells Morse, ‘’you’re in my seat’’.

Squeezing his shoulder, Skye eyes the gun and smiles, ‘’try it, see what happens’’.

‘’You won’t cause a scene in public Quake’’.

‘’You clearly don’t know me well then, causing a scene is one of my favorite things to do’’.

Knowing it’s useless now she puts the gun away and stands, ‘’looks like you found yourself a guard dog Ward’’.

‘’Actually that would be Kebo’’.

Skye glances at him, ‘’oh god he’s probably lost his mind without you’’.

‘’He’ll survive’’.

‘’Will he though? He’s pathetic when you’re not around’’.

‘’All the more reason to get back home as soon as possible’’, he looks at Bobbi, ‘’you done or is there more unnecessary dialogue where you call me a traitor to make your hero complex grow?’’

Bobbi and Hunter didn’t stand a chance anyway, but with Skye involved they can’t even breathe next to Ward anymore.

‘’This isn’t over Ward’’.

‘Yes it is, you’ll never see us again’’.

She stands and Skye is quick to meet her in the narrow space between the seats as they stare each other down.

Ward places a hand on the back of her thigh as a reminder there’s no need for a fight, that there are civilians here.

‘’Take your ex-husband and leave before I decide to change my mind and kill you two for fun’’.

‘’You’re a monster’’.

‘’A monster who’s about to shatter your spine if you don’t get out of my face’’.

With a huff Bobbi exits the bus towing Hunter along, leaving the passengers and bus driver confused as they take off.

Skye sits down and puts her legs in Ward’s lap, grabs the snacks out her pocket, the plastic crinkling as she takes a coffee from him.

‘’Got those animal crackers you like’’.

‘’Thanks’’.

She eats a cinnamon roll and once they’re driving on the highway asks how Shield found them.

‘’Seismic waves’’.

‘’Damn it’’.

He kisses her temple, ‘’it worked out okay’’.

‘’Everything usually does when we’re together’’.

Grant thinks about that while she slips her hand under his sweatshirt, strokes his back in slow soothing patterns and smiles because she’s right, as long as they have each other no matter what happens, everything work out just fine, and this time is no different. They found each other and have a plan on how to get back home, in no time at all they’ll be back in their own timeline, what happened here will be just another chapter to add to their lives.

And both Ward and Skye will be getting revenge on the people responsible for all of this, Alison and Robin’s days are numbered.


	23. All the Good Girls Go to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward set a plan to get back home and meet with the Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Skye, that is all.
> 
> Thank you reading and commenting!
> 
> Also there's a section where Skye is admiring Ward and thinking about how much she loves him, and it's just perfect. I love my brain for creating it, so enjoy!

Which is better for sustenance, beef jerky or peanuts? Shrugging Skye grabs both, along with a couple water bottles, Gatorades and a pack of gum, this small gas station right off the highway is nearly empty save for her, the cashier, a little boy and his mother, and two teenagers who keep arguing over which candy bar to get. Skye sets her items down on the counter and grabs a blue raspberry flavored ICEE as well, watches the attendant ring up her purchases and try not to stare at Skye’s split lip.

The sunglasses she’s wearing cover up the fading black eye and other cuts and bruises below them, her long dark hair also hides the other wounds on her face, but she didn’t have time to put on makeup and it doesn’t really matter anyway. None of these people know who she is and even if they did it probably wouldn’t end in a fight, they’d be too afraid. After showing her fake I.D. Skye registers the little boy walk up to the register, his mother close behind.

He’s young maybe eight or nine, with light blonde hair and wide innocent blue eyes, Skye can’t even remember what she was like at that age. He stares at her, takes in the dark jeans and shirt, the too big black leather jacket that belongs to Steve, the combat boots, but he doesn’t shrink back in fear like he probably should because everything about her screams dangerous. Instead he eyes her side like he can make out the gun strapped to her hip, and frowns at her bloodied and bruised knuckles.

Skye is paying for everything and tucking the change back in her pocket when the kid asks, ‘’what happened to your face?’’ His mother gasps and apologizes quickly, Skye waves it off and glances down at him, he’s got a toy car in hand and an Iron Man action figure in the other. Almost smiling because she misses Tony, can’t wait to see him in the next hour or so. Skye answers honestly while simultaneously looking out the window where two unmarked black SUVs just pulled up.

‘’Everyone keeps trying to kill me’’. They’re all silent at that, the kid’s mouth drops open while Skye gets everything in her arms and keeps her attention on the parking lot. Four men dressed in civilian clothing get out of the vehicles but they’ve got poorly concealed guns on them and they move like a strike team, Quake curses and wonders where Ward is, eyes the last place she saw him; the bus stop where every patron was forced to get off because of a flat tire, so Grant went to steal a car.

The plan she threw together last minute is falling apart at the seams, especially since she and the Avengers can’t meet at Stark Tower anymore since it’s crawling with Shield and FBI agents, Homeland Security and the CIA, the government here apparently doesn’t take too kindly to people with powers, and it’s giving Skye flashbacks to what she and her people went through before she made the world safer for Inhumans. 

Surprised they found her so quickly Skye looks at the people in the building and tells them to get out, of course they don’t listen at first so she has to get creative. Points to the men hanging around the parking lot and tells the truth, that they’re going to kill all of them and then her so if they want to live, they need to leave. Skye leads them out the back, relieved they haven’t begun proper formation yet, waits until the civilians are safe and far away from here before walking out.

Pretending as if she doesn’t see them, Skye opens a pack of peanuts with her teeth, and leans against one of their SUV’s, the men are not as subtle, linger around her eyes never leaving her form, hands on their guns, each one is wearing a com unit, Skye keeps appearances up and chews, pulls out her phone to send a text in the Avengers group chat, informing them that there will be a mess to clean up, and asking if they are at the new meeting place yet.

Slipping off her sunglasses and fingering the matches Steve just happened to leave in the pocket of this jacket, Quake asks, ‘’so do you morons want to do this the easy or the hard way? Personally I’m hoping you pick easy because I have things to do, so I don’t want this to take long’’. The first one attempts to strike and she easily glides out of the way, his closed fist hits the gas pump and Skye grabs his arm and snaps it in half, kicking him into the machine before smashing his face against the side of it.

Another makes the mistake of trying to put her in a chokehold and he’s met with a head butt and the knife from her boot in his face. The two that are left get a couple decent hits in but it doesn’t faze her, she takes the third one out with Natasha’s signature move, leaving only the fourth who backs up a tad, fear in his eyes but he keeps going nonetheless. The first man with the broken arm pops back up, attempting to catch her by surprise but Skye spins around and grabs the gas pump.

Takes the thick rubber rope and wraps it around his neck, it takes two minutes until he’s no longer breathing, his body slumping to the ground. Instead of using her fists for the last one and wanting to take them and the evidence all out at once, Skye opens the latch and starts pouring gasoline on their cars, the sidewalk. The last man tries to shoot her but fails with a twitch of her fingers, the gun shattering into a hundred pieces.

Taking the book of matches out she lights one, watches the flames dance in the cold wind, the Hydra agent freeze before saying, ‘’you’re fucking insane’’. His voice shaking as Skye gives him a smile full of ice, her lip bleeding again, ‘’you have no idea’’. Drops the match, watches as everything goes up in flames, she has just enough time to jump out of the way, the sound of agonized screaming as the gas station explodes.

Still drinking the cold raspberry flavored ICEE, Skye lays down in the field by the parking lot waiting for Ward, the cool winter air kissing her cheeks and wonders if they’ll ever be able to get back home. She misses her house in Montana, her version of the Avengers, her world, the life she left, Quake misses her office and her people, the Playground, being treated like a monster in this lifetime is dragging her back to all those years she felt alone and isolated, when the world crucified her for being different.

A few moments later a car pulls up at the curb and Skye lazily glances up at the window as it rolls down, revealing her husband and even though she saw him less than ten minutes ago, being apart now has made her restless, on edge like he takes pieces of her when he goes. A frown tugs at his mouth as she loads the snacks into the back seat before settling in beside him, taking off her boots and resting her socked feet on the almond colored dashboard.

‘’I was gone for two minutes’’.

Ward says as they drive away, the smoke and flames shrinking in the distance.

‘’They attacked me’’.

He mutters something that sounds like, _‘’you’re a pain in the ass’’._

She pokes his cheek, ‘’you’re the one who left me unsupervised, what was I supposed to do?’’

‘’Oh I don’t know, don’t draw attention to yourself?’’

‘’Relax I already texted Clint, they’ll cover it up’’.

‘’Hydra or Shield?’’

‘’Does it matter? I can’t really tell the difference anymore’’.

Grant sighs, the lines of his face fierce, only calm when she cups his cheek and reminds him softly, ‘’you love me’’.

Kissing the back of her hand he replies, ‘’that’ll never change’’.

She dozes off for a while and the next time she wakes, the world is frosted over in snow, the sky gray and foggy as her vision struggles to clear. Glances over at Ward and she didn’t notice it before, but he’s wearing a dark blue sweater that brings out the color of his eyes, the shine in his hair, and Skye is overwhelmed for a moment at how much she loves him. Affection washes over her chest in waves, how they did the impossible and found one another again in an alternate timeline.

Basks in this moment, his hand warm inside of her own as he rests them on her knee, the bare trees rushing by out the window covered in ice, there’s something about Grant in the winter that always curls against her side, makes her adore him even more. Makes her want to freeze image after image of him in the snow inside glass, forever capturing the look of his sharp cheekbones beside a cloudless sky, his breath misting across the space between them.

In another life Skye thinks she could have been an artist, with a hundred different shades of paint between her fingers. Sketch books and brushes in her pockets instead of guns and knives, she’d see the world in images of a warm yellow sunrise, the orange and red colored embrace of love. She wouldn’t draw landscapes, buildings or fruit, nor people with shadows under their eyes, or a screaming girl forever trapped in a concrete room.

No she’d draw nails and silk sheets, passion hidden and bold on floors and bathroom counters. There would be a collection of her lovers forever frozen on canvases, in frames and abandoned alley walls. But in the last ten years the images would reduce to only one man; the slope of his shoulders, the sharpness of his cheekbones, a jawline that no matter how hard she tried to perfect, she’d never get it quite right. Skye would trace his smile with charcoal, glide a pencil down the lines of his nose.

The only splash of color would be his eyes, honey and amber whiskey, that have been home for so long. She’d pour her love in every sketch, every stroke and setting. Maybe their hands would be speckled with blue water and green hill colored paint, instead of red and black bruises and cracked bones, the harshness, cruelty and violence of this life would never touch them. In another life they’d eat pasta on a patio in Italy and never know what death and darkness tastes like.

They’d lounge naked on beaches sipping strawberry cocktails, pitching tents on mountain tops while he took photos of the views and she’d paint them, their only worry being what to eat for dinner and where they’d travel next. Maybe they would settle down somewhere quiet, have a few kids, she’d make a nice income on her paintings and he’d work in a corporate office somewhere downtown, pictures of their family on his desk.

It’s a nice daydream filled with warm sunny Sunday mornings, pancakes and fresh orange juice on the counter, their lives consumed by soccer practices and PTA meetings, bake sales and innocent children who love their parents unconditionally. Ward would die first because he apparently already called dibs and can’t bear to live in a world without her, so Skye would retire eventually, exist for her children and grandchildren, knit socks in the winter and never take off her wedding ring.

Skye would have hundreds of paintings in the attic of Ward’s face, immortalizing him and their love, the life they spent together, and she’d never be the same after he died. It would be taking away half her soul, her heart, she would be a different person after his passing. But those sketches and photos would give her peace, just like the image of his face does right now.

The fresh morning light shapes the planes of his gorgeous face, the shadows of his cheekbones stark against the fading sky, he’s every dream come to life, a safe harbor in the middle of her storm, her friend, lover and husband, the only person worthy of making a home inside her chest.

Having spent ten years loving and losing each other it has just made them appreciate one another even more, Skye can already feel the threads that were clipped when they did not remember each other, stretch and sew back together, linking her soul with his once again. She never wants to be without his hand curling into her own, his arms holding her close, his smile, his laugh, that dry sense of humor he thinks is funny, his compassion and grace, his lips against her own.

They have been separated and ripped apart so often it should be normal at this point, but the wound of being without him still throbs. Her body should be used to not having his to sleep beside, but every time they’re apart then come back together she never wants to let him go. Each time they find one another again her heart shouldn’t ache with longing, she shouldn’t be afraid to let him out of her sight, shouldn’t hate being away from him even just for a moment, but she is.

This kind of earth shattering, heart stopping, eternal soulmate love shouldn’t exist, she decides. It’s too strong, too consuming, it wraps itself around their shoulders and clings, it should choke them every single morning. But it’s not suffocating or overwhelming, it’s a shelter in the middle of a hurricane. It’s a warm embrace in the dead of winter, a thick hand knitted blanket in front of a fireplace when there’s a blizzard outside, it’s something you find endlessly to keep and store in the palm of your hands forever.

Ten years ago Skye would have never believed she’d find someone like Ward, hell someone to love her at all, but like so many other things, he’s proven her wrong. It should have been impossible coming back to each other when the odds were so stacked against them time and time again. Having Alison Price and Robin send them to alternate timeline in the hopes of making them suffer without one another for the rest of their lives, should have ended the way they wanted.

Skye still isn’t sure how they remembered one another when they spent so long not, but she’s not going to complain about it. Instead she’s going to hold onto Grant as tightly as she can, never wants to leave his side or wake up without him ever again. So here she is memorizing the lines of that gorgeous face that she never wants to forget ever again. Black and blue bruises still splash across various places on his skin thanks to her, something she’ll never stop feeling guilty over even though he forgave her for them.

The things she did in this alternate timeline when she found out he was Hydra, that’ll stick around for a while, this entire experience is going to need a lot of therapy and alcohol to recover from. Skye can’t wait to find Alison and stab her in the neck for all this, then book an appointment with her and Ward’s therapist Paul. But as for right now with revenge simmering between her shoulder blades, she can still focus her attention on her husband.

Pray to any god that’ll listen that being with John Garrett again hasn’t fucked up all the progress he’s made over the years without him. There are many things in this lifetime Skye regrets doing, but killing Garrett will never be one of them, the image of him gasping for breath covered in blood at her feet, is the poetic justice he deserved. Taking a deep breath, Skye really wishes she was a painter so she could capture this moment properly.

So she could stare at this image on rainy days or just because, Grant in the middle of an ice covered world, nothing around except his own body and the sun. She’d trace the outline of his hips in the drivers seat, fill in his skin with warm colors and shades, maybe the background would be a light bright blue so it’d make those whiskey eyes of his pop, she’d add in his silver wedding band so it gleamed in the light as a reminder that he loves her and she him.

‘’You’re staring’’.

Ward murmurs, not looking at her.

Skye runs a thumb along his knuckles, ‘’am I not allowed to do that?’’

The words feel like they’ve been locked in a closet for months collecting dust, and now the door is open letting in fresh air and light.

‘’Of course you are’’.

Skye rests her head against the seat, rolls her neck to stare at him some more, ‘’I’m just thinking about how much I love you’’.

A smile she’s seen a hundred times before, reserved only for her, stretches across his lips as he leans over and kisses her, ‘’I love you so much’’.

His attention is back on the road when she puts a hand on the back of his neck and sighs, ‘’I can’t wait to go home’’.

‘’We’ll get there soon enough, I promise’’.

Skye switches on the radio to her favorite classical station and Ward smiles again, so she says, ‘’you’re in a good mood this morning’’.

‘’Every morning with you is a good one’’.

Now she’s the one grinning, always up for his cheesy romantic lines they both know she adores.

‘’If that was you trying to seduce me’’-

‘’It wasn’t’’.

‘’It worked’’.

Ward throws his head back and laughs, so carefree and young here, happy, like he deserves to always be.

‘’We’ll be at the diner in a few minutes’’.

Running her fingers through his hair Skye asks, ‘’what if it takes them months to find a way to get us home? God knows how long we’ve really been gone there’’.

She isn’t entirely sure how much time they’ve spent in this alternate universe, but the estimate is around six months.

‘’If only Robin were still here’’.

They both know Robin lingers whenever he sends someone to a parallel world, but they’ve been running around the clock surveillance for his face and powers, have come up with nothing.

‘’You’d torture him again’’.

It isn’t a question, years ago when Robin pulled this shit the first time with Skye, Ward found him and used a few creative ways to get him to bring her back.

Grant answers without hesitation, ‘’yes’’.

In the history of Skye becoming the leader and spokesperson for Inhumans, only three have betrayed her, two of them are dead now, and Robin will soon join them.

‘’What if we’re stuck here forever? What if Alison gets what she wants?’’

Ward shakes his head, ‘’Tony will figure it out and if he doesn’t, the Avengers from our world will, they won’t give up on us’’.

An ache fills her at the thought of leaving here without Steve and Clint, she got them back only to leave them again.

‘’What do you think will happen to this world once we’re gone?’’

‘’I don’t know’’.

‘’It’s not like it’s a Framework reality where I can just destroy the computer program once we’re done’’.

‘’Maybe it just continues on without us’’.

That makes her sad, the Avengers losing Skye, she losing them.

‘’It’s not fair’’.

Those whiskey eyes are full of sorrow when he replies, ‘’I know’’.

Changing the subject she asks, ‘’has Kebo texted you back yet?’’

‘’Yeah he’ll meet us there’’.

There’s a heaviness in his tone, it’s breaking Ward that he has to leave his friend, is worried about what will happen to Kebo once he’s gone.

Skye is hoping that this world just disappears like dust and no one remembers at all.

‘’He’ll be okay Ward’’.

His lips tighten into a thin line, ‘’I hope so’’.

They pull up to a nearly abandoned diner off the side of the highway, walk through the door hand in hand and Skye spots Nat immediately, sitting next to Clint and Steve on one side of a booth, Tony and Bruce on the other. The tiny breakfast space smells like fried eggs and coffee, only a few people sit at tables looking half asleep. Skye keeps her head down and heads to the booth, says, ‘’the cute one is here’’, before shoving her way to sit in between Clint and Steve.

Ward settles in beside Bruce Banner and before anyone can ask what’s going on, Stark fixes a glare at Quake and says, ‘’what the hell Skye?’’

‘’It is too early for your drama this morning Tony, god, can I at least order coffee first?’’

‘’Why is Cheekbones here?’’

‘’Because’’-

‘’Bruce and I have a bet that I’m going to punch him, guess who’s going to win?’’

‘’Oh my god Dad’’.

‘’That’s enough’’.

Nat’s cool tone silences the banter and under the table, Skye takes her hand, dreading the conversation that’s about to follow.

‘’She started it’’.

They ignore Tony as Steve comments, ‘’how are you feeling Skye? Ward, is everything alright?’’

The waitress stops by and Ward orders them both a coffee.

Skye flicks a straw wrapper at her father figure, ‘’what’s with the attitude?’’

‘’You literally texted me, ‘Need you to create a parallel universe machine ASAP, love you’. What am I supposed to do with that?’’ 

‘’I mean you could have said you love me too’’.

Clint speaks up, ‘’is no one going to mention how she blew up a gas station?’’

‘’We’re getting to that’’.

‘’Are we? I don’t see the point’’.

‘’Well it’s arson’’.

‘’Don’t forget the murder part’’.

‘’First of all they deserved it’’.

‘’Of course they did Cupcake, no one is blaming you’’.

Steve sighs at the normal chaos of conversation that takes over whenever they are all together, ‘’can we go back to this machine you asked Stark to create? What’s going on Skye?’’

She sighs and looks at the friends that are gone now, that she’ll never see again and Nat squeezes her hand, probably already suspects the truth.

‘’So surprise, Ward and I are married’’.

Tony chokes on his water, Banner and Barton freeze and Steve gives them a surprised look, ‘’come again?’’

It’s Ward who clarifies while simultaneously delivering the bad news in a Ripping Off the Band-Aid technique, ‘’Skye and I aren’t from here, we’re from a parallel universe and were sent here by’’-

‘’A crazy bitch with a twisted revenge complex who will get a knife in her neck when I find her’’.

The table is quiet for a moment then Barton asks Quake, ‘’what’d you do to her?’’

‘’What makes you think our precious Quake did something?’’

Clint gives Tony a _look_ and Skye confesses, ‘’ I may have killed her mom’’.

Natasha runs a free hand through Skye’s hair, ‘’why?’’

It’s Ward who answers, a faraway mournful look on his face as he recalls those dark days when she was in the hospital and her heart stopped, ‘’hired someone to kill her’’.

Steve drags a hand down his face, ‘’thank god she didn’t succeed’’.

‘’She did, that’s why they’re both dead’’.

Skye forgets that Ward can be terrifying if he wishes, sometimes without even trying, and right now he looks every bit as dangerous as Shield believes him to be.

‘’So you’re saying you want me to find a way to send you back home’’.

Skye nods and Tony looks out the window, ‘’look we didn’t ask to be sent here, and once I find Alison I will kill her for this, I never wanted to hurt any of you’’.

Romanoff tries to hide her wince, Bruce copies Tony’s attempt at avoidance, and Steve and Clint look like she just ripped their hearts out.

The waitress stops by but no one says anything, so Ward orders something so they don’t look suspicious.

‘’We’ll do it, of course we will’’.

Skye lays her head on Steve’s shoulder while Tony asks, blinking back tears, ‘’so after you’re gone, do we get our Skye back?’’

Quake feels her face crumbling as Steve pats her head, ‘’I honestly don’t know’’.

‘’And we’re just supposed to let you go? How do we do that?’’

Romanoff responds to Bruce, ‘’we don’t have a choice, we’re not going to make them stay here’’.

Ward then tells them who they are, their history over the last ten years, then different theories on how to get back home.

It isn’t until Grant mentions Thanos that Skye winces and clutches Steve a little tighter, and of course Barton picks up on her expression, ‘’why are you looking at me like that?’’

Tears fall down her cheeks and there isn’t anything anyone can say or do to comfort, to soothe, grief spills over and Skye bites the inside of her cheek to keep from sobbing.

Steve wraps an arm around her shoulder while Grant answers, ‘’you died to save us, all of us, and Steve went back to his own time’’.

Nat leaves the booth at that and Barton follows after kissing Skye on the forehead.

‘’Way to clear the table babe’’.

‘’They deserved to know’’.

He leans across the table to wipe her face and Steve looks down at her, ‘’I don’t know what to say’’.

‘’You don’t have to say anything, leaving made you happy, made your life complete, how can I be mad at you for that?’’

‘’Well this is a real shit show Cupcake’’.

She huffs out a laugh, sniffles and says, ‘’you have no idea’’.

He pulls out a pen and grabs a napkin as he and Bruce start sketching and brain storming ideas.

The waitress brings by pancakes and eggs, Skye is taking a bite when Ward suddenly leaves the table, squeezing her shoulder as he walks by.

‘’Where’s Cheekbones going?’’

A text comes through, Ward’s, saying Kebo is here and they’re going to talk in the parking lot.

‘’To break someone else’s heart’’.

Skye didn’t prepare for this, to hurt and bruise, to say goodbye to her family, the people who have loved and believed in her always.

Tony is rattling off some insane theory when Skye nudges his leg underneath the table and he glances up at her, ‘’I’m sorry I’m in the middle of something, what do you need? Want to rip my heart out some more?’’

‘’First of all this was not my fault, second’’-

‘’I don’t need your sarcasm right now’’.

‘’I learned it from you’’.

A sad smiles twists his lips, ‘’yes you did’’.

She sighs and leans a little more against Steve, ‘’look Dad, I didn’t ask for any of this to happen’’.

‘’I know you didn’t’’.

‘’Tony you took me in when you didn’t have to, gave me a home’’-

‘’Oh my god please don’t start, because if you cry I’m going to cry and we’ll never figure out a way to get you home’’.

‘’I just, thank you, for everything’’.

‘’You’re welcome’’.

They share a smile and Banner asks, ‘’so we really lost Barton?’’

Skye looks down and Steve squeezes her shoulders, ‘’yeah’’.

A moment of silence passes as Skye remembers the last time she saw her friend and Tony kicks Rogers under the table, ‘’you left her too’’.

Skye feels a headache coming on as the two bicker back and forth, her worry for Natasha growing by the moment, when she and Clint come back and sit down and he pulls her into a hug.

‘’I’m sorry kid’’.

Pressing her face into his shoulder Skye squeezes her eyes shut and wonders how the hell she’s going to say goodbye this time around.

‘’I hate you and your stupid superhero complex’’.

‘’Love you too’’.

They break apart and he holds her face, ‘’I did it for you, to save the universe, I’d do it again’’.

‘’This is the worst apology you’ve ever given me and I don’t accept it’’.

‘’Stubborn, just like Tony’’.

‘’Don’t compare us’’.

Stark comments, not looking up from the napkin already filled with blue ink scribbles and diagrams.

It’s Steve who speaks up next, blue eyes fixed on Skye’s face, ‘’I’m sorry too, I’’-

‘’I understand why you did it, it’s okay, doesn’t make it any easier though’’.

‘’This is the worst family reunion ever’’.

Everyone glances at Banner, there’s a small pause, Skye and Nat look at each other, and then they all start laughing.

Skye is sandwiched between Clint and Steve as she looks out the window, stops laughing when Ward and Kebo come into view. It appears as if Kebo is walking away yelling something and Grant is chasing after him, turns him around and the yelling on Kebo’s end intensifies, then dies out. His face falls and Skye knows him well enough to understand the problem, he has no idea what to do without Ward, how to live in a world where he doesn’t exist.

And Grant undoubtedly feels guilty about that even though it’s not his fault, they should blame Alison Price for all of this, and Skye has every intention of punishing her for it. Sympathy fills her as she watches Kebo fight off tears, shake his head and Ward pulls him in for a hug. Kebo clutches Ward’s leather jacket tightly, even from here Skye can tell he’s shaking. Barton taps her wrist and slides a plate of pancakes over, she’s taking a bite when he chuckles.

‘’So you’re really the Director of Shield back home?’’

‘’Yeah’’.

‘’Who would have thought?’’ He nudges Bruce’s elbow, ‘’our little Quake, all grown up’’.

‘’I hate all of you’’.

Nat laces their fingers together and Skye glances at the first person who ever gave a damn about her, can’t even go there on what will happen once she’s gone, ‘’except you’’.

‘’Obviously’’.

They share a smile and the Black Widow says, ‘’I’m so proud of you Skye, we all are’’.

‘’If we’re going to have a heart to heart I’m going to need tequila’’.

‘’It’s ten o’clock in the morning’’.

‘’And?’’

Her head is on Steve’s shoulder again when Ward comes back without Kebo trailing after him, surprising her.

‘’He didn’t want to tag along?’’

There are shadows in Grant’s eyes as he moves to sit down, tension in his shoulders that Skye can read easily, he feels terrible for something that isn’t his fault.

‘’Move’’.

She instructs Tony who scowls, ‘’want to rephrase that?’’

‘’Nope’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’Move Tony’’.

Nat chimes in and he obeys, Skye slides in beside Ward, Tony sits on her right side while Bruce, Nat, Steve and Clint are together on the opposite end of the booth.

Skye cups Ward’s face and traces the shape of his cheek with her thumb, never needing words to communicate she can easily put together what happened.

He looks so sad when he mutters, ‘’I hope everything just disappears when we leave’’.

‘’Me too’’.

Wrapping both arms around his waist she lays her head against his shoulder while he rests his cheek against her hair, ‘’I’m going to kill Alison, I promise you’’.

‘’And Robin?’’

‘’He can meet the same fate’’.

‘’Good’’.

‘’So what’s the plan?’’

Natasha pulls out her phone and frowns, thumbs moving quickly across the screen, catching Skye’s attention.

The Black Widow looks up at Hawkeye, then Quake, ‘’we have a problem’’.

‘’It wasn’t me’’.

‘’It probably was you’’.

‘’Not every bad thing happens because I’m involved’’.

‘’Says the Inhuman who just blew up a gas station’’.

‘’Oh bite me’’.

She snaps at Clint who winks in response.

Romanoff slides the phone across to Skye and asks, ‘’you feel like saving Shield one more time before you go?’’

The screen reveals that Hydra has made another attempt to infiltrate the Triskelion and they’ve succeeded. 

Skye is always up for a fight, already she can feel the adrenaline spiking her veins, the longing to channel this grief and rage into anyone with a pulse.

Looking up to Grant she runs a thumb under his eye, silently asks if he’s up for it, and when he nods she smiles and looks over to Nat, ‘’hell yeah’’.

Steve finishes his cup of coffee and says, ‘’Avengers, suit up’’.

Skye’s eyes shine, she’s missed hearing that and when they all file out of the booth she hugs Steve tightly, then Clint, tells them she loves them, just in case.

‘’I have your suit in my trunk’’.

Tony says when they’re outside.

‘’I’ll change on the way’’.

Romanoff hands her a gun while Ward slips another knife into his jacket.

Quake stands on her toes to whisper to Grant, ‘’quickie before or after?’’

The tips of his ears turn red as she laughs, ‘’after it is then’’.

A few hours later the Avengers sneak inside the Triskelion and get into their assigned positions, Skye and Ward take the top floors while everyone else spreads out. They pass a storage closet and she wags her eyebrows, Ward kisses her but doesn’t move towards it, instead gestures with his chin to check if anyone is down the dark hallway, Skye can’t feel the vibrations of anyone around so she shakes her head.

‘’Coulson is probably going to show up with his band of morons soon’’.

‘’Wouldn’t surprise me’’.

‘’Are you sure you don’t want to shoot Phil in the face? Because I’m in full support’’.

‘’We don’t know if our version of him would die in our timeline too’’.

‘’Would anyone really miss him? Let’s be honest’’.

‘’You would miss him’’.

‘’Don’t ever say that to me again’’.

‘’Don’t worry sweetheart your secret is safe with me’’.

‘’I have no idea what you’re talking about’’.

Before he can respond Skye feels a body in a closed room they pass, and nods to it. Ward lifts his gun and she quakes it open just as he steps inside and fires. When the smoke clears two dead Hydra agents lie on the floor and Skye glances at herself in the reflection of a panel of glass. Always feels full of pride when she wears the Quake suit, the silver gauntlets gleaming in the light, the guns strapped to her hip and thigh, will forever love Tony for creating it for her.

‘’You’re beautiful’’.

She turns to find Ward simply standing there staring at her, ‘’Grant Douglas are you flirting with me?’’

‘’Just stating a fact, if I was flirting with you’’-

‘’I’d know it’’.

He winks, walks up and kisses her forehead, ‘’you okay?’’

She sighs and presses her face into his chest, ‘’are you? Are you going to tell me what happened with Kebo?’’

‘’I sent him away’’.

‘’And he actually listened?’’

‘’I hope so, I don’t want him to watch us leave’’.

‘’Alison really fucked us all over’’.

‘’She won’t get away with it’’.

An unspoken agreement passes between them, a mantra they’ve followed and believed in for ten years; _together._

Price is just another enemy and they will eliminate her and come out on top together.

They go into room after room, fight after fight, Skye is sweating as they’re almost done clearing out this floor, she grabs the arm of a Hydra agent and breaks it, his scream filling the air. She quakes him out the window and turns to see if Grant needs help, when she pauses at the sight that greets her. An annoyed looking Ward being held by agents, a knife to his throat as the two men glare at her as if she’s supposed to cower and beg.

‘’Stand down or we kill your boyfriend’’.

‘’Husband actually’’.

‘’Give it up Quake you can’t win’’.

The smile she offers is sharp, full of poison, ‘’you know you assholes always underestimate me or think you have the upper hand, I’ll never understand why’’.

‘’Because you’re not as powerful as they say’’.

She flexes her hands, cocks her head, ‘’yes I am. I’m the Destroyer of Worlds’’.

They never stood a chance, a second later they’re dead on the ground and Skye is pressing her fingers into Ward’s neck, ‘’did they hurt you?’’

‘’I’m fine’’.

Steve does a check in to see if everyone is alright, while Clint says Skye is more than likely needed in the basement. They’re walking down the stairs when shots ring out and Skye shoves Ward out of the way as they duck behind a wall, but judging by the sting in her arm, she’s been hit. Gritting her teeth she peels away from the wall, holds out a hand and the bullets stop, the sounds of bodies crashing through glass and cries of pain sound.

Grant is fussing over her pressing his hand into the wound in the middle of her bicep, just a flesh wound, but Skye glances at the bullet on the floor smeared in her blood, ‘’why does that look familiar?’’ And when he studies it he freezes causing her to do the same, the bullet is a specific shape and color, used on her only once before many years ago before. It was designed to incapacitate her specifically and take away her powers.

Already she can feel the numbness spreading down her arms, the world sways and Ward holds her carefully against him, ripping off a section of his shirt to tie around the wound. ‘’Son of a bitch’’. It’s a small complaint because she doesn’t necessarily need her powers to defeat Hydra, but they do come in handy. After assuring Ward she’s fine and doesn’t need to sit out, they continue on and she can feel his eyes burning into her the entire way to the basement.

The second reason for the bullets makes itself known when Skye and Ward have taken out every agent in the basement, not only were they planning on her being here, but this was all a set up. Ward figures it out at the same time she does and they glance at each from across the room, her eyes wide, blood running down his lip, just as an explosion rocks the building, perfectly executed so the only way out of the basement is destroyed.

The floor rocks with the weight of the bomb and debris settles in front of the front door, smoke and dirt fills the air as the room grows hot and dark. When it all clears Skye is coughing and Grant is calling her name just as the coms in their ears go dead. Panic bubbles under the surface but she pushes it down, the Avengers know they’re down here, any minute now when they don’t hear from her they’ll come searching and get them out.

Grant has to jump over a few debris to reach her and when he does he presses her close, buries his face in her hair and asks if she’s alright.

‘’Oh my god we’re going to die down here’’.

‘’We are not’’.

‘’So this is how it ends, I’m taken out by an explosion in a basement, not how I pictured it’’.

‘’You’re dramatic just like Tony’’.

‘’You really should be nice to me in our final moments’’.

He glances around, face shadowed in soot and her attempts to wipe it away just smear it.

‘’Convenient time for you to lose your powers’’.

‘’Right? Assholes’’.

His hands tighten on her back as he assess the wound on her arm, ‘’we’re going to be fine’’.

But there’s something about his face that gives her pause, and since she knows how his mind operates she has a pretty good idea what he’s thinking. Before she can voice is however a body stands off the ground, apparently the dude she took out isn’t as dead as she thought, Quake is punching him in the face when she says to her husband, ‘’whatever self-sacrificing shit you’re thinking of, I don’t want to hear it’’.

A knife to his chest ends the threat and Skye turns back to her husband, ‘’if you think I’m leaving you here I’m going to punch you in the neck’’.

‘’We don’t know if it’ll come to that but we need to prepare if it does, if one of us has the opportunity to get out’’-

‘’Grant’’-

‘’It’ll be you’’.

‘’No it won’t’’.

‘’Skye’’-

‘’I am so close to punching you in the spine’’.

‘’Sweetheart’’-

‘’Don’t sweetheart me’’.

‘’If anyone deserves to get out of here, it’s you’’.

She puts her hands on her hips, the air growing thicker and coughs, ‘’why me? Why do you think I deserve it? If you’re weighing us against one another, you are infinitely better than I am’’.

‘’That’s not true’’.

‘’Yes it is’’.

Skye has done far worse things than he ever has, her hands are always going to be covered in more blood than his.

‘’Now really isn’t the best time to’’-

‘’Look Tony will come down any minute and get us out, let’s not fight about it until we have to’’.

She sits on a large piece of fallen concrete and he joins her, rests her head on his shoulder, ‘’I swear to god if we die in a basement’’-

‘’That’s not going to happen’’.

‘’If it does I’ll tell Barton you said hi’’.

‘’That’s not funny’’.

‘’At least we’re together’’.

He kisses the top of her head, ‘’we’re going to be fine’’.

More smoke fills the room while Ward gets up and tries for ten minutes to find any way out, comes up with nothing.

‘’This is the part where we hold each other and declare our undying love’’.

Grant isn’t amused at her humor, his fingers bloody and bruised from attempting to lift debris.

‘’Relax Robot, it’s not like no one knows we’re down here’’.

But his training and basic survival instincts don’t allow him to relax, Skye attempts another shot at humor to lessen the tension.

‘’Before we die you should know, that one weekend you were in California, Kebo and I got really high and ate all your ice cream out of the freezer’’.

Skye rarely joins Kebo when he smokes or partakes in it all, but it was a stressful weekend and she missed Grant.

He pauses pacing, ‘’I know’’.

‘’You do? How? We replaced the ice cream and you couldn’t smell anything’’-

‘’Kebo told me’’.

‘’Traitor’’.

He walks to her side, puts a hand on her cheek and tilts her face up, ‘’I love you, and we’re going to get out of here, you can keep the confessionals to yourself’’.

She kisses the side of his wrist, ‘’fun killer’’.

Ward opens his mouth to say something but it’s cut off by a yellow shimmering glow appearing in front of them.

Skye stands up and grips Grant’s bicep, ‘’god?’’

Ward rolls his eyes as the glow forms into a circle, a portal and her heart leaps.

Carol Danvers steps out of the portal Dr. Strange created, her short blonde hair gleaming and a bright smile on her face, shocking the two Avengers in front of her.

‘’So you two ready to go home? Stark owes me twenty bucks, he bet he would find you first’’.

Skye grins and hugs her, ‘’please get me out of this hellhole, Ward was about to off himself for no reason’’.

‘’No I wasn’t’’.

‘’Yes you were’’.

Taking her hand they step through the portal and the world is a flash of bright white light, a warm orange glow, then silence. 

And Skye can’t see clearly yet, but she knows the nightmare that they’ve been trapped in for months is finally over, and they are going to get their lives back.


	24. You Drew Stars Around My Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Ward finally make it back home and reunite with their friends and family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was reading through an older fic in this series the other day and genuinely forgot that I had Hydra brain wash Robin, and I didn't plan on bringing it up again but I felt like I couldn't just drop that storyline and dismiss that, so hence the conversation in this chapter.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting, and Happy Holidays!

Through the darkness of the trees, shadows dancing and swimming in between branches, a shimmering pink and gold glamor falls away as the world fades, shrinks, bends into another reality, the right one, the perfect universe, home. Red and green lights twinkle in the distance as the night breeze brushes across bare skin, spring air, no longer the winter chill that existed in that alternate timeline. The faint howling of a wolf howls, an owl rustles, hoots, leaves twitch and crack behind a bush. 

A cold hand held safely in between a warm one, fingers laced together tightly, a thread of gold binding them forever together, like an invisible string curling and linking them as one, bound by a kind of love that burns, aches and mends, a rock to hold onto in the middle of the wildest storm, a shelter to rest when the harshest winter blizzards sound outside. A pair of matching silver wedding bands catches the moonlight’s glow, a sign that some things really do last forever, even after death.

Grant Ward inhales slowly as the smell of dirt and moss slip in, a familiar scent the one of home, back in Montana where for the first time in his entire life he felt settled, like he was sitting on something that belonged to him when nothing ever had before. A glance to his left reveals Skye and relief fills his chest when she appears unharmed, free of blood, back in the same body she’s been in for thirty five years, the one he knows better than anyone, same hands, same scars, same lips he’s kissed thousands of times and it’ll still never be enough.

The pair of arms that soothe his nightmares, holds him close, he knows every single line and shape that makes up her skin and bones, each dip and divide, every birth mark and blemish from the war zones she’s been in. Each battle wound he’s touched, kissed, stroked and sighed against, there isn’t an inch of her he doesn’t know, he’s memorized every pattern and freckle, adored, treasured and cherished each and every single one of them.

Stark Tower, their apartment in New York, this house, Montana, have never been home for Ward, it’s always been Skye who he finds solace and safety in, the woman who has held his heart in her cold palms for ten years and will do so for the rest of his life. That’s all he knows, all that matters, she’s worth every tear, every fight, battle and close call, every enemy that comes after them, all of it lies in a dark pool that is utterly insignificant in the face of how much he loves her.

An alternate timeline attempted to rip them apart and instead they found each other and here they are safe and sound back home on the edge of their driveway, another ploy to make their blood spill out on concrete, to force them to lose one another, defeated once again. Without a word, Ward kisses the back of Skye’s hand as they silently step forward together through the break in the trees, the gravel of the driveway crunching under their boots.

It’s then he realizes that both he and Skye are wearing the same clothes they were the day Alison and Robin sent them through that goddamn machine; She’s wearing a black shirt, jeans and combat boots with a leather jacket, he’s dressed similarly, but a tan leather jacket stretching across his shoulders. Like they just stepped back into them after tossing them on the floor, nothing is wrinkled or stained, laces are still tied, guns are holstered onto hips and thighs, a knife tucked into his boot. 

The Christmas decorations are still up even though winter has clearly long passed, the grass no longer bathed in snow but colored in bold green, the meadow in the distance filled with fresh bloomed flowers washed in pastel yellows and blues. The crystal gold lights he hung across the roof in December are still shining against the midnight sky, the inflatables and other various plush decorations Skye and Kebo strung about are full of air, swaying happily in the breeze.

It’s like a ghost town, like they evacuated in a rush and abandoned everything, didn’t bother unplugging fire hazards or turning off lights, the one on the porch still glows above the red front door. Skye and Ward walk up the small stairs to said door, the wood of said wrap around porch should be covered in leaves and twigs, dust and debris, the lights should have burned out by now, the cameras around their property should have stopped working. 

But when Skye steps up and pulls out her phone, her hand shaking, types in the password for the security and unlocks the door, it gives without issue clicking into place, as if they never left in the first place. The door swings open, the alarm system stops blaring with a swipe of Skye’s fingers as the lights turn on and the home they’ve shared comes into view. The floors should be dusty as well as all the countertops, the mantle above the fireplace, the coffee table, the furniture.

Everything should be coated in a fine wave of misuse, but each surface is clean and shiny, the floors mopped and waxed, the counters and tables all polished, the pillows on the couch are fluffed, the blankets folded neatly the way he likes hanging off the back. The air smells like Skye’s perfume instead of what should be long vacant rooms, it doesn’t look like they’ve been gone for months, just a few hours, as if they were out on a mission or ran to the grocery store, as if hardly any time has passed at all.

The reason is obvious, either Kebo or the Avengers have been keeping things clean for Skye and Ward’s inevitable return, which means they never gave up faith, not that Ward thought they ever would. Grant isn’t a very sentimental person, too many years alone or moving around to care about any space for long, but this place means something, it represents the life, the promise he and Skye made together, it’s a shelter to sleep inside when the world gets too dark.

He’s missed the warm tone of the walls, the rug where Skye fell asleep against his chest in front of the fire so many times, the pictures on the mantel and end tables revealing the years he and Skye have spent together, their engagement, wedding, and all the moments in between. So much love has spread through the cracks in the floors, healing their wounds and sealing old ones, no matter how much venom tried to seep through they came out on the other side perfectly fine.

Skye lets go of his hand, takes off her shoes and walks to the mantel holding their wedding pictures, face full of wonder like she can’t believe they’re really here. Grant takes her boots and sets them by the front door, places his own there before walking across the smooth floor to stand beside her. The fireplace is freshly cleaned, the frames holding one of the happiest days of his life have been polished and shine brightly under the warm glow of the lights.

For as long as he’s alive he’ll never forget the image of her walking down the aisle to meet him, the vows she spoke in the dark are tattooed forever on his heart, he’d never want to spend this life with anyone else other than Skye. No words need to be spoken aloud, he knows exactly what she’s thinking as she lays her head on his shoulder. Happy they’re back, that Alison and Robin didn’t win, that they’re alive, and even though time was stolen from them it doesn’t really matter, because they’re together.

It’ll take a while to heal from the weeks that inflicted special kinds of torture on them both, John Garrett’s voice is still louder than Ward would like it to be in his head, but he knows with therapy and the passing of time, everything will eventually be alright. He’s in a healthier place than when he said goodbye to John for the first time, since he was his brain washed Golden Boy who didn’t understand right from wrong.

Ward isn’t a broken mess lying on the cold hard ground anymore, lost without a gun in his hand, thinking he had no place in the world without his father figure, without orders, Grant understands now that if you feel like you have no purpose, create one yourself. Wrapping an arm around Skye she shudders against him before copying the movement, her hands clenching his jacket tightly. 

‘’This is real right?’’

She asks, her voice so quiet.

‘’This is real and I’m not dreaming? Dr. Strange and Carol really brought us home?’’

Grant kisses the top of her head, promises into her hair, ‘’we’re home, this is real, you’re not dreaming’’.

‘’We’re really back’’.

‘’Yes’’.

‘’Then why is no one here waiting for us? Where are Carol and Strange?’’

He wondered that too, ‘’if I had to guess I’d say giving us a moment alone, as for the Avengers maybe they don’t know we’re home yet’’.

She looks down at her left hand and strokes the engagement, eternity and wedding rings he placed on her finger and sighs, ‘’I missed these’’.

Grant flicks his own wedding ring, ‘’me too’’.

‘’They’ve been taking care of the house for us’’.

‘’Looks like it’’.

She looks up at him now and he can’t help but stroke her face, to prove to himself too that this isn’t a trick, they really found each other and are back home.

That false reality will soon be a long forgotten memory, the bruises and scars they received there will eventually heal.

‘’I should probably call Nat’’.

The tone of Skye’s voice reads that she wants to, needs to, but would rather stay in this moment with him before the chaos descends, before the drama of their real world comes into play.

‘’Call in the morning, unless Strange told them we’re back then we only have a couple of hours’’.

‘’What ever will we do to entertain ourselves for two hours?’’

She wags her brows, that small bit of sorrow in her eyes disappears as she turns to hold him fully, arms around his waist.

Grant lowers his head, brushes his lips across her cheek, ‘’I have an idea’’.

He slides his hands down her spine, slips them in the back pockets of her jeans, squeezes.

‘’Grant Douglas Ward are you trying to seduce me?’’

He kisses her softly then trails a path down her throat, ‘’no’’.

‘’Liar’’.

Her breath hitches when his teeth nip her collarbone, ‘’take off your clothes’’.

Before he can reply she’s dragging off his jacket, pulling at his shirt and he unbuttons her jeans.

Ward slides off her shirt and cups her hips, distracted for a second at the scars he’s stared at for ten years, back in the same places they’ve always been.

‘’I love you’’.

He breathes against the one near her heart, a reminder of a time when he would’ve had to bury her if not for a miracle.

Thinking about the body warm against his skin right now being in a coffin, has unendurable pain slicing through his ribs, blinding his sight for a moment as tears fill his eyes.

Skye sensing the sudden tension in his shoulders, runs hands through his hair, coaxes his face up so she can look at him.

‘’What’s wrong?’’

Fingers pressed into his cheeks as worry sweeps away the fire, she presses herself closer, strokes his face.

Honesty pulses raw between his shoulder blades as he confesses something she already knows, shares the sentiment, ‘’I don’t want to live without you’’.

Even before he knew her in that other universe, his soul knew something was missing, a piece of him stored away in her chest, waiting for life and love to breathe into it, into him.

‘’You won’t have to, never again’’.

But they’ve spent the past ten years losing and finding one another, it’s the same promise they make as soon as they are back in each other’s arms.

The same lie whenever he’s holding onto her and she’s stroking his back.

But neither of them ever voice it, so instead he kisses her and takes off his jeans.

Their bed feels the same, firm mattress and soft pillows, thick comforter because Skye gets cold at night, the room is dark save for the moonlight peeking through the sealed curtains. She’s sprawled across his chest, drawing shapes over his heart, hair still wet from their bath earlier. The clock on the nightstand reads four a.m. and it just feels like they never left, like everything was some terrible dream and they’re awake now, ready to start the day as if it were normal.

Skye will go to the Playground and he’ll get in on another job to take out some shady diplomat and they’ll both be home for dinner. Life will eventually go back to that, but they need to take care of a few things first, like kill Robin and Alison and book an appointment to see Paul, Grant’s long time therapist. Kissing the top of her head, Ward holds Skye close and isn’t sure he can handle losing her again, if he’ll survive it, so he prays that it won’t happen again, even though God stopped listening to him years ago.

Eyes closed he glides his fingers up her spine, writing poetry along the soft scarred skin when Skye speaks up, ‘’we’re being irresponsible, we’ve got family to see, places to go, people to kill’’.

Ward chuckles and cups the back of her neck, ‘’we’re taking time for ourselves after what happened, they’ll survive’’.

It might be a tad selfish because Kebo, Shield and the Avengers have surely been through hell and sick with worry over them all this time, but both Skye and Ward need a moment, a break and pause in between realities to regroup and cope, remind themselves that they are not the people they were twelve years ago, that this is their life and no one can take it from them, everyone can wait as they settle, come back down and relax.

Skye lifts her head to peer up at him, ‘’fine but if Tony throws a fit I’m blaming it on you’’.

‘’I can handle it’’.

She plants a soft kiss against his shoulder, gentle and warm and he runs a hand through her long dark hair, ‘’you know we missed Christmas’’.

The tree by the back door was still up when they walked in, clearly a new one because the one he chopped down had to be dead by now, all the ornaments still up.

Clint though it’d be funny one year to buy them an Avengers Collection Box Set of ornaments, so a miniature Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hawkeye, the Hulk and Quake rests on the branches.

‘’We’ll celebrate it this year’’.

‘’And New Year’s and Valentine’s Day’’.

‘’We can make up for it anytime you want’’.

‘’Sleep first’’.

He kisses her hair as she closes her eyes and relaxes against him.

This right here, it’s all he’s ever needed to be happy.

Skye falls asleep a few minutes later, Grant listening to the sound of her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest against his own, and thinks about how when they first got together how he would lie awake at night just like this and wait for her heart to stop. Not because he was waiting for something terrible to happen or some mysterious illness to sweep in and destroy her, but because he never had anything good in his life until her and he thought she’d be taken from him.

That the universe would continue punishing him for all the awful things he did, because deep down they both knew he didn’t deserve Skye. In the years that have passed Grant no longer feels that way, the wonders of therapy and the way time can cut you open then stitch you back up just fine, he no longer hates himself or John for the crimes they committed. Which is why that alternate version of himself from the timeline Ali sent them to isn’t rearing his head, the baggage on his back doesn’t weigh heavy.

Grant has understood and accepted for years that what he did under John Garrett’s influence wasn’t his fault, his father figure took in a broken person and shattered him completely until he had nothing left, then rebuilt him the way he wanted; a perfect weapon, a brain washed robot who would ask no questions, complete orders without hesitation, who would never defy John or anything he said and did. Garrett is to blame for the blood on Ward’s hands, not all of it, but at least half.

So because the past few years have been the healthiest Grant has ever been, what happened in that parallel timeline means nothing more to him than a bad dream, he’s more pissed about the time Alison and Robin stole from him and Skye more than anything else, and what they caused his wife to relive, the person she was nearly twelve years ago when she hated herself, drowned her demons and fears with alcohol and shitty men who didn’t deserve to even look at her.

They forced her back into a time where Shield saw Inhumans as monsters, saw her as a threat that needed to be stepped on, disrespected and controlled on a leash like some kind of animal. Grant can’t speak for Skye but he knows the scars the public, Shield and Hydra once inflicted still burn, and he hates that she had to go through all of that again, that she went back to a place where she hated herself and didn’t think she was worthy of love or someone’s attention.

She mumbles something against his chest now, her left hand gripping his skin tightly for a moment as if she’s hanging on, before it relaxes, the rings he put on her finger shimmering in the moonlight. Kissing her forehead he rises from the bed carefully, drapes the blankets over her bare back before slipping on a pair of black boxer briefs. Pauses at the footboard to drink in the sight, Skye back in their bed at home, they finally made it when the odds were impossible, stacked against them.

Exiting the bedroom, those long drilled instincts he couldn’t shut off even if he wanted to, itch at his shoulder blades. He should have done this the second they walked in but he got too caught up in Skye, besides he trusts the Avengers and Kebo wouldn’t let anything happen to their house, but he still needs to personally check to make sure everything is alright. Bare feet on the cool wood floor, Ward walks around the living room and relocks the front door, double checks that every window is sealed. 

The various weapons hidden throughout the house are still there, the chimney is clean, the kitchen stocked, the ventilation system is still perfect, the security of course is up to speed, improvements have been made by Tony no doubt. Everything is exactly the way they left it months ago, even the garage where Ward started ‘’doomsday prepping’’ as Skye calls it, a few years ago is intact. Nonperishables line the shelves, water, blankets and everything else they’d need in case of an emergency or the apocalypse is still where he left them.

After double checking everything inside and using his phone to check the cameras, Ward gets ready to go outside to do the same, silently dresses in the living room as to not wake Skye, and grabs the rifle from their closet just in case, he’s intimately familiar with what lingers in the woods in the middle of the night. He writes a note of his whereabouts for Skye, puts it on his pillow for her to find and leaves the house, locking it up as he goes. 

The woods, the dark of the night hasn’t bothered Ward in over twenty years, the silence in between the trees and the threat of crunching leaves behind him do not cause any worry or stress. The Private Property signs are still in perfect place, none of the cameras are damaged, the paths he created throughout their land are intact, the meadow is still blooming with flowers swaying in the spring breeze, it’s as if he and Skye just left for the night and came back, nothing has changed at all.

The edge that clenched his shoulders disappears when he can see with his own eyes everything is alright, So Ward heads back to the house on silent feet, intending to shower and hopefully fall asleep for a while until the Avengers and Shield show up. The slight relaxation in his skin disappears suddenly as years of training and instincts flare up, he’s not alone anymore, Grant stops on the path surrounded by trees and listens.

There’s a snap of a twig and before he can tense up or finger the knife at his hip, a voice calls out, ‘’well thank god you aren’t dead’’.

A smile spreads as the threat of danger fades and Kebo steps into view, flashlight and flask in hand, and while Ward has technically been around him for months, it’s not the same, the Kebo he knew in that alternate timeline isn’t the same one standing before him now. Over the last ten years they’ve been through the trenches, through hell and back with each other, his best friend that Grant wouldn’t trade or change for anything, Kebo was the first person to believe he could be a good person, that he was more than what his family and Garrett made him out to be.

They’ve been friends for almost twenty years, have seen every high and low, have shared near death situations, patched each other up, cleaned their blood off floors, Kebo knows each and every demon and ghost in Grant’s closet and vice versa, he was the first friend he ever had. Kebo believes Ward is the only family he has left and treats him as such, but Grant knows if something happened to him Skye and the Avengers would never leave him alone.

Kebo looks the same of course since they last saw each other in this lifetime, but even though he’s smiling there are shadows under his eyes like he hasn’t been sleeping well, sick with worry, and Grant knows Alison Price and Robin are to blame for that. If their roles were reversed Ward would never stop looking for Kebo, nothing else would matter until he was safe and healthy back home. Shouldering the rifle Grant starts walking and Kebo meets him in the middle, dirt and leaves crackling under their boots.

‘’You look terrible’’.

Kebo’s brown eyes crinkle as he barks out a laugh, ‘’excuse me for being worried about your stupid ass’’.

‘’How long have we been gone?’’

Kebo glances at his watch as if he didn’t count the minutes and hours since Ward disappeared, ‘’five months’’.

‘’At least it wasn’t five years’’.

‘’I see your sense of humor hasn’t improved’’.

‘’Been by the house yet?’’

‘’Yes, and Quake nearly attacked me when I walked in’’.

‘’She missed you, I did too’’.

Before Kebo can respond Grant is pulling him in for a hug, clapping him on the back. 

In all the years that they’ve known each other Kebo has always smelled the same, like cinnamon and alcohol, it’s something familiar he’s come to find comfort in.

‘’I missed you too’’.

They hug for a long moment, Kebo squeezing too tight but Grant doesn’t complain, and when they break apart he has a hold on the back of his neck, searching Ward’s face.

‘’What the hell happened?’’

‘’It’s a long story’’.

‘’All I know is that crazy bitch Alison sent you and Quake somewhere, Shield questioned her but she got away before they could get any real answers, no one has seen her since’’.

‘’How did she escape?’’

‘’Robin appeared at the Playground and got her out’’.

‘’I thought he could only travel to alternate dimensions, how the hell did he do that?’’

‘’No clue, I’m sure your wife will have fun figuring that out though’’.

Kebo drops his hold only to study Grant’s eyes once more, ‘’does your long story include traumatic events that will require my constant attention to help you overcome? Because you have it, whatever you need I’m here’’.

Garrett’s voice is a whisper in the back of his head that he doesn’t deserve Kebo’s friendship, but it’s blown away with the spring air, ‘’I know’’.

He squeezes Kebo’s arm as they start heading back to the house, ‘’I didn’t come alone by the way, your living room is packed with the Avengers and Shield’’.

‘’I figured’’.

There’s a fresh ache that blooms across Ward’s chest as he remembers that the Avengers are missing two members, and even though they lost Clint and Steve a while ago, Grant just saw them.

It’s a reminder that the family Tony and Nat created will never be the same.

‘’You have that haunted look on your face’’.

They break through the trees, his home coming into view as Ward replies, ‘’just thinking about how everything has changed in the past couple years’’.

A comforting hand on his shoulder as Kebo responds, ‘’not everything, you still have Skye and me, Nat and Paul, don’t forget about the good things’’.

Knowing he’s right Ward takes a deep breath and walks ahead, there are five cars in his driveway and all the lights are on in the house.

‘’Shield will be happy to have Skye back’’.

The way he says this has Ward raising an eyebrow and Kebo clarifies, ‘’it’s been a rough few months for them, Coulson put Mack in charge and things haven’t been going well’’.

Skye set up a protocol that if she’s ever out of commission Coulson is to take over, so him appointing Mack as temporary Director is odd.

‘’Wait, why didn’t Coulson want to lead in Skye’s absence?’’

‘’I don’t know, some bullshit about wanting time for himself and May’’.

‘’May?’’

‘’Yeah they’re a thing now apparently, don’t ask me to elaborate because it will physically make me ill, I saw them kissing once and am scarred for life’’.

‘’Well at least they’re happy’’.

‘’I couldn’t give two shits about Phil Coulson and his happiness’’.

They enter the front yard as Ward asks, ‘’why did people have a problem with Mack being Director?’’

‘’It was just a few agents and they’ve since left, there was a tiny mutiny but Nat and Wanda took care of it’’.

‘’A mutiny?’’

‘’Yeah, and there was this drama with a robot named Aida who tried to take over the world but Carol destroyed her’’.

‘’Wait, what?’’

‘’Oh and said robot sent Fitzsimmons, May and Coulson into a Framework universe and they’re still traumatized from it, Fitz especially, it may help if you talk to him, he’s pretty messed up’’.

‘’Anything else happen that I need to know about?’’

Kebo scratches the back of his head, ‘’nope I think I covered all of it, you and Skye disappear for five minutes and the world tried to fall apart’’.

‘’Dramatic’’.

‘’I have been the least dramatic one in this entire situation, let me assure you’’.

‘’I doubt that’’.

‘’Piss off’’.

Laughing, Grant unlocks the front door and comes face to face with Valkyrie, who gives him a wide smile.

‘’Well look who decided to join the party’’.

Ever since they met after Thanos destroyed half the universe, the two clicked and became fast friends, she gives him a hug then taps his face, ‘’we missed that jawline around here’’.

Rolling his eyes Ward glances around to find everyone that cares about both him and Skye either sitting or standing, the room full. The remaining Avengers save for Thor, Rhodey, Fitzsimmons, Coulson, May, Mack, the Inhumans, several other Shield agents, Carol, Strange, Pepper, Peter Parker, Everett Ross, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes and Wanda have all come together to welcome them home. Carol winks at him from the kitchen as Peter hugs him next, then Pepper, Mack following then Coulson and Fitzsimmons.

Grant studies the two scientists closely and frowns, though they’re smiling they can’t hide the suffering swimming in their eyes, the shadows, whatever they went through during the Framework is very much still haunting the pair. Skye’s Inhumans who he has all trained over the years, each hug him as well, Bruce Banner in his human and Hulk hybrid form takes up an entire arm chair, but he gets up quickly to tell him how much he’s been missed, and it chokes Ward up for a second. 

He once spent his days all alone under the thumb of an abusive family and then a mad man, and now look at him, a house full of family and friends who were affected by his absence, who missed him, who did everything they could to bring him back. His parents and Garrett were so wrong and while he’s known that for years, it’s so obvious now, Ward deserves to be happy, he deserves this life he worked so hard to build, the love in this room.

Kebo squeezes his shoulder knowing where his mind is at, as he searches for his wife, only takes a second to spot her. On the couch sitting in Natasha’s lap, Tony on her right with an arm slung over her shoulder, their eyes rimmed red. Pepper guides him over to the couch before sitting next to Tony who places a hand on her knee, before smiling at Grant.

‘’Cheekbones’’.

‘’Stark’’.

‘’Glad to see you made it back in one piece’’.

Skye pokes his side, ‘’that’s Tony’s way of saying he missed you’’.

‘’I’m still mad at you’’.

‘’Dad’’-

‘’You had sex with Ward before telling your parents who have been worried sick over you, that you’re back, thanks I really appreciate it’’.

‘’I mean you would too if you knew how good’’-

‘’Oh my god Natasha she’s doing it again make her stop’’.

Nat rolls her eyes, ‘’children’’.

Then she focuses on Ward with a blooming smile, ‘’welcome home, we missed you’’.

He leans around Skye to give Nat a small hug and she murmurs, ‘’thanks for taking care of my girl’’.

‘’You know you never have to thank me for that’’.

Guilt slithers its way up his spine because honestly, he didn’t take care of Skye when it counted, granted he didn’t remember who she was, who he was, but still, it’ll take a while to reconcile that. Skye, knowing how he thinks, presses her bare foot into his shin and subtly shakes her head, assurance that she forgives him, there’s nothing to be sorry over at all. Mack drags him over to the opposite couch between himself and Kebo as everyone starts to catch up and ask questions.

Ward lets Skye take the lead on that because she loves being the center of attention and she’s a more animated story teller than him, alcohol is found and poured in mason jars and wine glasses, someone turns on soft classical music, Skye’s favorite station as she tells them all what happened. As their story unfolds it doesn’t escape his notice that she omits everything about John Garrett and what Grant personally went through, instead focusing on their time together and what happened to her.

Skye talks about the fall of Shield, her fight with Hydra and Ward, though she glosses over the details Tony still catches his eye. When Skye’s voice turns sour at what occurred after he was captured by Shield, Coulson sighs at the cruelty of it all and pulls Grant aside to apologize once more. But it’s all water under the bridge, the sins they committed years ago no longer hold any sway, Grant can honestly say it’s all successfully in the past and that’s where he’d like to keep it.

When Skye gets to the part about them remembering each other and Carol and Strange bringing them back home, she sweeps the living room looking for their fallen friends who she just saw a few hours ago, and never will again. Nat squeezes her hands and Tony pulls her closer into the space of his side, and everyone knows the Avengers will never recover from the loss, the pain of losing Captain America and Hawkeye.

When the story finishes and Mack assures her they’re doing everything they can to find Ali and Robin, frustration lines Skye’s face, ‘’how the hell did you let her escape in the first place?’’

‘’We were caught off guard Tremors, we didn’t know Robin could appear and disappear whenever he wanted’’.

‘’It’s actually quite simple if you think about it, his powers have grown over the years and he more than likely’’-

Fitz cuts himself off suddenly, and Mack is quick to pick up where he left off as Simmons squeezes his knee, ‘’we think he’s grown stronger, he could pose a real threat if he wanted to’’.

Skye snorts, ‘’I’m a threat, he’s just another asshole who for some reason thinks he can get the best of me’’.

‘’Wait didn’t Hydra brain wash him into being this way in the first place?’’

Wanda asks, and even though it’s been years since the organization held her in its clutches, she still winces at the memories.

‘’We tried to help him once, it didn’t take’’.

Skye snorts at May, ‘’like you did with Ward?’’

The room turns silent as eyes focus on him, he knows the bitterness in Skye’s tone is fresh because they just relived the way Shield treated him once and she’s still pissed about it.

Rightfully so, but it doesn’t hurt Grant like it once did.

‘’Baby’’.

He mutters softly, a suggestion to let it go, that he doesn’t need her to stick up for him anymore with Shield.

It’s ignored because her attention is focused on May, and he can practically see the sparks of anger begin to light in Skye’s eyes as she decides that Melinda would be a good outlet for her anger.

The Calvary rolls her eyes, ‘’it’s been years, you should let it go’’.

‘’You know you’re the only one who has never apologized to my husband for the role you played in his life’’.

‘’Because I have nothing to be sorry for, Coulson and the team may have forgiven Ward but I never will’’.

It’s the wrong thing to say, Skye is fragile and caught between two worlds, separate emotions since the trauma from that other timeline is still so present because it just happened.

But instead of Skye ripping into her, Carol speaks up, ‘’I’m sorry don’t you all speak about giving second chances all the time? Why didn’t Ward get one? Wasn’t he just doing a job like the spies your organization is made up of do constantly? Sounds to me like you let your emotions get involved Agent May, which from my experience doesn’t lead to anything positive’’.

‘’She’s right’’.

Fitz agrees, both he and Simmons glance at May who huffs and walks outside, Coulson apologizes before following her out.

Skye grabs Tony’s phone and types for a moment, when Rhodey asks what she’s doing, Skye replies, ‘’locking her ass out and texting Coulson to go ahead and leave’’.

Grant gives his wife a look that says, _‘you don’t have to defend me’._

To which she responds, _‘yes I do’._

Sam swings the conversation back around to its original purpose, ‘’so are we going after Robin or not?’’

All eyes shift to Skye who as always, holds all the power in a room, ‘’I’ll kill him and Alison Price’’.

A glance between Bucky and Ward captures her attention, ‘’you have a problem with that?’’

James winces, ‘’both your husband and I were brainwashed by Hydra too, yet we’re still alive but you give Robin a death sentence?’’

‘’He deserves it’’.

‘’But we don’t?’’

‘’The difference between you two and Robin is that you cleaned the blood off your ledgers, healed in a healthy and safe environment and took every chance to work on yourselves, whereas Robin continues to prove time and time again that he’s not interested in redemption’’.

‘’Maybe it’s not his fault’’.

Skye rises off Romanoff’s lap and gives Bucky an incredulous look, ‘’what the hell is this Barnes? Do you have any idea what that asshole has done to Ward?’’

‘’The long term effects of that type of abuse can’’-

‘’I don’t need you to educate me on the subject, I’m well aware’’.

‘’Yet you still want to kill him, explain that to me’’.

‘’I don’t have to justify my choices to you’’.

‘’You do if you want to go through with this’’.

The air turns hostile as Skye takes a step forward, fists clenched at her side, only Ward, Tony and Nat are aware that she’s a ticking time bomb and they need to quickly defuse it.

‘’So you’re going to stop me if I go after Robin?’’

‘’Yes’’.

She grins, there’s nothing kind in her face, ‘’you can certainly try’’.

‘’Is getting even so important that you’d kill an innocent man over it?’’

‘’He’s not innocent’’.

‘’Neither am I or Grant, but you gave us second and third, hell you’ve given us a thousand chances, why is Robin any different?’’

Romanoff gets off the couch and tells Bucky to back off, Tony is at her back in case he needs to calm her down, and Pepper heads into the kitchen while Carol and Wanda linger close by.

Skye glances at Grant to check if he’s comfortable with her sharing his story, if not she’ll fight anyone she has to in order to get to Robin, screw justifying it to anyone.

So she doesn’t have to and because it doesn’t bother him anymore, Ward replies, ‘’he worked with my brother a few years ago to try to take me out and caused Skye to suffer as well, and this time he forced both Skye and I to relive traumas from our past, if she doesn’t kill him for it I will’’.

There was proof long ago that Hydra brain washed Robin, but Tony looked into the footage and confirmed it had been tampered with, but who really knows?

If that makes Grant a shitty person so be it, they’ve attempted to save Robin and he would rather watch the world burn and drag Skye along with it, he’s a liability at this point.

Bucky, knowing about Ward’s past and what she went through the last time Robin sent her to an alternate timeline, sighs, ‘’what if we capture him instead? Get him the help he needs so he can heal, he’s an Inhuman after all Skye’’.

‘’Don’t play the Inhuman card with me’’.

‘’It’s the right thing to do’’.

‘’I don’t give a shit’’.

‘’Then you’re a hypocrite just like May’’.

And the simmering fuse inside of Skye lights and blows as she lunges at Barnes.

Carol and Wanda hold her back while Nat steps in between them, Mack and Ward flanking her just in case, Nat’s hand is on Bucky’s chest while she whispers soothing words in Russian to Skye.

‘’Way to ruin a family reunion Barnes, I knew it was a bad idea to invite you’’.

‘’Tony’’-

‘’I’m not wrong, look he’s got our Quake in a bad mood now’’.

Pepper sighs from the kitchen, ‘’I just wanted a nice evening together’’.

‘’And now he’s upset my wife’’.

Sam grabs the back of Bucky’s shirt, ‘’let’s take a walk man’’.

Skye is silent now watching him with sharp eyes, Nat’s fingers running down his chest as he takes a step back and nods, doesn’t look at anyone on the way out, Sam following close behind.

‘’You can go with him’’.

She tells Nat who shakes her head, ‘’I’m not sure I agree with him on this’’.

Wanda comments next, ‘’Clint gave me a second chance after Hydra controlled me, how can I not do the same for someone else?’’

Skye brushes off her and Carol’s hands and glares around the room, ‘’we’re not putting it to a goddamn vote, this is happening and if anyone has a problem with it’’-

‘’You’ll take us out too?’’

Everett Ross asks and the energy shifts again, if this is about to turn into them ganging up on Skye, he’ll kick everyone out himself.

‘’I’m sorry I thought this was a welcome home party but apparently it’s about defending the man’’-

‘’It’s about doing the right thing Quake, and if Robin really was brainwashed how can you not show him mercy when you did the same for everyone else? Haven’t you hated Shield for the same thing for years regarding your husband?’’

‘’This is different and if anyone has a problem with it no one asked you to be here, in fact I would prefer if you weren’t, so the door is right there’’.

Ward gestures to the front entrance while Skye curses under her breath and walks in their bedroom, shuts the door so loud the windows rattle.

No one leaves and Ward enters the room with Kebo following, closes the door softly as they walk in.

Skye is lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling, hands folded atop her stomach as she says, ‘’the warm glow of our sex bubble has faded’’.

‘’Ward didn’t come in here alone Quake’’.

‘’Yeah I know’’.

Grant sits on the mattress by her ankle and she puts her feet in his lap, ‘’does it make me just like Coulson to want to kill Robin?’’

‘’No’’.

‘’You tried to help him Quake and in turn he tried to kill you a few times and Ward, plus he worked with Christian of all people, he deserves to be shot in the mouth for that reason alone’’.

‘’Is the need for revenge clouding my judgement?’’

Ward rubs her feet as she closes her eyes, ‘’no, Robin made his choices and he decided to make us relive awful things, he tried to kill you, and he’s done god knows what else over the years. He deserves what’s coming to him’’.

‘’It doesn’t make me a monster?’’

He hates that anyone has made her feel like that again, like she’s some out of control thing that needs to be contained.

‘’No, and if you decide not to do it in the end I will, or Nat or Kebo’’.

She sits up so half of her body spills across his lap, wraps her arms around his bicep, ‘’and you’re sure you’re okay with that?’’

‘’Like I told you back at the hotel, yes’’.

He kisses her forehead while she rests her cheek against his shoulder and they turn to face Kebo, ‘’Squishy I know you’d call me out if this was a shitty call’’.

‘’It’s not, and while I see the point Bucky, Wanda and Ross were trying to make I don’t really think it applies here. They don’t understand what that asshole put you through, what he and Alison made you and Grant experience’’.

‘’Nothing about what the rest of them say matters anyway, this is our life, not theirs’’.

Ward runs a hand through her hair and gets lost in the shape of her face for a moment, wrapped up in the way she’d do anything for him, how the world may burn but their love would never change.

Skye catches his gaze, ‘’what are you thinking about?’’

‘’You’’.

Always, she’s always on the forefront of his mind, if she’s happy and safe, how much he cherishes her.

A small smile spreads across her beautiful face when he follows up with, ‘’how much I love you’’.

‘’Now we’ve switched the topic from murder to love, haven’t missed these conversations’’.

They ignore Kebo as Skye replies, ‘’if you’re going to make some grand declaration about how you loved me before you even knew me in that alternate timeline’’-

‘’While that’s true, that wasn’t what I was going to say’’.

Grant continues playing with her hair, ‘’everything dies, everything ends, but not this, not us, and no matter what you do I’ll always be here’’.

Skye could indeed destroy the world and everyone in it, living up to the name they gave her, and he still would be right by her side.

The way she looks at him right now, eyes shining, as he reminded her she’s not what anyone assumes she is, Skye shakes her head, ‘’I love you’’.

‘’I love you too’’.

He kisses her gently, unhurried, hands lost in her hair.

‘’Oh god, I’m going to throw up’’.

She breaks the kiss and twitches her fingers, powers sending Kebo sprawling across the floor and into the wall, ‘’ow! You know how I feel about you using you powers on me, Ward Skye tried to kill me!’’

‘’Oh please I didn’t even break a bone’’.

‘’That’s how you justify it, not breaking my bones? Ward tell her not to use her powers on me’’.

‘’He’s obviously going to take my side’’.

‘’On what grounds?’’

‘’I have sex with him’’.

‘’You should find a new reason, that one is overused’’.

‘’Is it though?’’

‘’Yes’’.

‘’He loves me more than you’’.

Kebo scoffs, ‘’debatable’’.

‘’Babe if we were both drowning and you could only save one’’-

Grant pinches the bridge of his nose, ‘’yeah I didn’t miss this’’.

A knock at the door ceases the argument and Tony’s voice is muffled as he says, ‘’Strange found Alison’’.

Skye instantly slides out of his lap and heads for the closet, ‘’we’ll be out in a minute’’.

Kebo leaves the room while Ward follows Skye into their walk in closet, all the clothes and shoes right where they left them.

‘’Babe can you grab my boots please?’’

He walks over to her side and grabs a pair of well-worn combat boots, watches as she heads for the glass casing that holds her signature Quake suit and gauntlets.

‘’Sure you don’t mind me killing your girlfriend?’’

Rolling his eyes as she winks over her shoulder, Ward takes off his shirt and responds, ‘’I’ll kill her myself if you want me to’’.

Skye pauses at the sight of his bare chest and while he’d love nothing more than to lay her out on every surface of this house, they don’t have the time.

Always on the same wave length as each other, Skye gives him a once over and says, ‘’remind me later that we need to rechristen every square inch of this house’’.

They did that when she came back after leaving him, and will do so again after returning after months away.

Ward strips down, changes into dark jeans, a maroon shirt and tan leather jacket, ties on boots and holsters two guns; one on his hip, the other on his thigh, hides knives in various places. Skye is ready as soon as he is, straps a gun to her hip and smiles as she notices his gaze. Grant kisses her forehead when she walks up and places her hands on his chest, eyes smoldering with a promise he can’t read.

‘’What are you thinking about?’’

He asks after kissing her quickly, her response does not surprise him.

‘’Revenge’’.

They walk out together to find everyone still here but Ross and Bucky, Nat apologizing for his comment and Skye waves her off. She looks over to Strange who is standing by the back door, hands hanging loosely at his side.

‘’Why did it take you five months to find us, find her? And why can’t you locate Robin?’’

‘’Robin’s powers are unique, he’s able to hide in different dimensions and skip around to different timelines whenever he wishes, you try finding him in that, I think he took Alison with him but now she’s back’’.

‘’And what you just left Ward and I stranded in that hellhole he put us in?’’

‘’Robin used both his powers and that machine to conceal the two of you and it worked until Carol found and destroyed it. Feel free to say you’re welcome at any point’’.

‘’I’d rather die’’.

‘’If you’re done with the dramatics’’, with a wave of both hands another shimmering golden portal opens and the Avengers along with Shield step up to it.

Tony’s Iron Man suit spreads over his body and Nat grazes Skye’s hand, ‘’be careful’’.

‘’You too’’.

Ward taps Skye’s wedding band and she looks up at him, ‘’capture or kill first?’’

‘’Oh my god you two are just now discussing this?’’

‘’Capture, I want to interrogate her’’.

‘’Whoever gets to her first wins’’.

It’s been a while since they played this game and Ward grins, ‘’dinner?’’

‘’I mean I was going to go with sex but food works too’’.

Someone gags behind them but Ward doesn’t care, ‘’loser gets’’-

‘’Can we go already?’’

Skye squeezes his hand and steps through the portal first, he follows and the world spins in a flash of rushed light and a warm breeze.

After months they’re finally going to get answers, get revenge and everything that comes with it.

Alison and Robin are getting exactly what they deserve.


	25. Champagne Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN UPDATE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read so there is no confusion going forward.
> 
> Thank you to everyone for supporting me, & reading & commenting on this lovely universe.

So I know at the very beginning of this fic I said Daisy Johnson from the season 6 Agents of Shield timeline would be making an appearance. However I’ve decided to scrape that idea & put it into the next fic in this series.

This is for two reasons; One because I didn’t anticipate the Skye & Ward being sent to an alternate dimension to take up so much space & energy in this fic, I had no idea it’d be nearly twenty chapters. It’s almost entirely a fic of it’s own, something I didn’t prepare for.

That being said, I just didn’t plan for this fic to turn out the way it did, & I just can’t mentally or physically handle adding another ten chapters to this one when it’s already so long, because if I add Daisy that’s exactly what’ll happen.

Reason number two, I’m not ready to let Skye or Ward go yet, which is why when this fic ends (even though I said it’s the last one) I’m adding one more where I’ll have Daisy, political drama & a surprise reveal that’ll add another person to Skye’s family. I also may have Ward working with the Falcon & the Winter Solider (to the plot of the Disney+ show) And I’ll be adding Skye into the Black Widow movie that comes out in May! But that’ll be it’s own separate little fic.

So there will be one more fic after this one in this Avengers AU universe, then I’m done. I know I’ve said that before but this time I swear it, especially since I’m working on a book of my own to publish, so I want to wrap this world up before then.

So if anyone is still confused (I feel like I’m rambling) comment & let me know, & thank you for sticking with me through this long journey of our favorite power couple. We’re not quite through just yet.


	26. Wrapped 'Round My Finger Like A Ring, They're Just Like Puppets On A String

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alison Price and Robin come face to face with Skye, and judgement is dealt out accordingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Skye, I love her character, I love writing her fight scenes and soft Skyeward moments.
> 
> Also I started watching WandaVision and it's amazing! Thinking off adding Skye into that universe as well.
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting!

Bleached grass painted green by spring, bright bloomed flowers swaying in the warm afternoon breeze, the sun caressing scarred skin resting on a picnic blanket. Fresh fruit in margarita glasses with salt and sugar rims, the speakers of a phone play soft classical music, birds glide through the sky and bees buzz around the lively meadow. Skye keeps her eyes closed as she lies on the soft plaid patterned blanket smooth against her skin, the sun warming the necklace Tony once gave her around her neck. 

Natasha Romanoff rests next to her their arms nearly touching, glass in hand, her long red and blonde hair moving with the spring breeze. Skye listens to the sounds nature around them, feels every vibration in her palms, everything has a specific frequency that she constantly recognizes in her skin, a never ending buzz between her bones. Grant is inside their house with Kebo and Tony, the latter of who is pretending not to stare out the window both to be nosy, and because he’s worried.

Skye takes a sip of her peach margarita and has every intention of getting hammered today, she’s in a mood and frustrated with the state of things. Just yesterday she had Alison Price in the palm of her hands, all of this was going to be over in one final swoop of blood spattered revenge, but that bitch slipped away at the last minute. Strange located her in a church of all places and a fight broke out between Alison’s personal security, the Avengers and Shield after Skye scratched _‘god is dead’_ into a pew, Grant was not amused.

Quake and Ward spent the rest of the night at the Playground reestablishing themselves and Skye taking back over, the transition was smooth, though she did give everyone shit for the way Mack was treated in her absence, not caring that the people responsible were already locked up for treason. On top of what she and Grant went through in that alternate timeline, now she has to deal with the absolute shit show Shield became while she was gone, and finding Alison Price.

Revenge is first on the list, everything and everyone else can wait, because there is always a game that needs to be played, a score to be settled, a battle to win, and Quake has never been one to grasp a grudge between her fingers and let it go.

They say when you set out for revenge you have to soak your own hands in blood, dig a grave of your own, find a shovel and bury your corpse. But Skye has never lost in the twisted act of revenge, she’s always played the dark game better than anyone else. It’s why so many people have died beneath her feet, why she earned the reputation of the Destroyer of Worlds, and why she has always been the most powerful person in a room. 

Whitehall wanted her to become a monster when he locked her in that lab and stuck needles in her veins, when he forced her to become Inhuman at eighteen, and some would say all these years later he got what he wanted, just not the way he intended. So many people have wanted Quake dead and she’s outlived them all, watched the life leave their faces at her feet, listened as they begged for their hearts not to stop.

So many men have plotted in dark rooms over expensive bottles of Scotch on how to take her out, so many traps and plans to stop the breath in her lungs, and she’s destroyed them all. Survived the impossible, got out alive and in one piece just like Natasha Romanoff taught her. Skye has picked up her own body off dirty floors and put it back together, stitched up wounds with steady hands, placed her throbbing heart back in her chest even when it felt like it’d never beat again.

Her skin is marred with scars of the horrors she’s lived through, the fights she’s won and lost, the trials and close calls that left her shaking in the middle of the night. Her life since she was a teen has been a never ending fight, transforming her into a weapon, a tool, to both kill and defend, it’s a thin line she’s always walked with certain feet. Alison Price will soon join the ranks of delusional morons who thought they’d defeat Quake, she’ll find herself buried with all the rest of them.

Revenge isn’t the only card in Skye’s pocket, the only ghost that latched onto her ankles all those years ago that loves to come out and play. Death slides in against her shoulder blades all the time, caresses her skin with a lover’s kiss, sometimes she’s the cause, but others, death likes to take from her. Watch her beg and cry for it not to go, to rob her soul instead, but it never does. It’s an intimate friend that gives her both strength and suffering.

Skye has experience with death, what it tastes like, smells like, how it settles into your belly with ice and claws and sharp nails. She’s both seen and caused so many hearts to stop that the subject, the sight, no longer holds any sway. She’s seen too much, dipped her feet into that dark abyss below long enough for it to start blinking back at her. Death is a simple occurrence in her life, like it’s an old friend come to call as it sits on her bed and eats all the food out of the fridge.

It is because death and revenge have made a home inside of her bones that Skye does not fear what will happen when she stares into that bright light one day, the only regret she’ll have is leaving Ward and the Avengers alone. They are also why Skye doesn’t flinch when dealing out graves and judgement, why she won’t bat an eye when that dark hooded figure taps her shoulder as they’re staring one final time at Alison Price and the price for betraying her dealt out swiftly.

Skye sighs and plays with the Saint Raphael pendant around her neck, another piece of jewelry that was so dearly missed when she was away.

Tells Nat, ‘’when I die I want you to spread my ashes over the place you killed Whitehall, so I can spite him one last time’’.

‘’Is that really what you want to talk about?’’

They’ve yet to discuss what happened when Alison sent her and Ward away, knows this alcohol infused picnic is the perfect opportunity to do so.

‘’We could talk about my first time’’.

‘’Already know that story, you’re deflecting’’.

‘’Tell me again what happened with Shield’’.

Nat doesn’t press, feeds her the information she already knows, ‘’mutiny, Aida sent Fitzsimmons, May and Coulson into a Framework reality, everyone seems to be recovering except for Fitz, he won’t talk about what happened’’.

‘’You think he’s a threat?’’

‘’You going to put him down if he is?’’

‘’Ward would kill me, but if I don’t have a choice’’.

Skye trails off, not wanting to entertain the idea. 

‘’If only May would have died in the Framework’’.

‘’You can always kick her out of Shield’’.

‘’Coulson would never stop bitching about it, that’s the last thing I want to deal with’’.

‘’Whatever you decide, I’ll support no matter what’’.

Skye brushes her fingers against Nat’s, ‘’you always do’’.

A few more minutes of silence passes before Skye speaks up, ‘’Price sent us back twelve years ago, to the people we were before Shield fell’’.

Knowing how Skye feels about her past self, Nat takes her hand and squeezes.

‘’You remember how I was back then’’.

Drowning her sorrows and trauma in men and alcohol, hating the body she was trapped in, felt like a monster every morning she woke.

‘’I do, I’m proud of her, just like I’m proud of you now’’.

Skye takes the compliment with a smile.

‘’Anyway I met the pre-Hydra Special Agent Grant Ward, he was a dick just like last time’’.

Unfortunately this was not the first time Skye has been sent to an alternate timeline where she met the brain washed version of her husband, this was just the only time she didn’t remember him.

‘’Saw John Garrett again too’’.

‘’Bet that was fun’’.

‘’I killed him’’.

‘’Good’’.

‘’Got tortured in a barn’’.

‘’Not the first time’’.

Skye opens one eye and winces against the sun, thinking about her husband, ‘’I’ve seen Ward around Garrett before but I knew who he was, this time seeing it from a different perspective from an unbiased point of view, he was just so different’’.

Nat waits for her to elaborate, ‘’he did everything Garrett said no matter the cost, god he had bruises most of the time and I thought it was as a result of a mission, not his father figure beating the shit out of him’’.

‘’You can’t blame yourself, you didn’t know what was going on’’.

‘’I know, I just had this sick feeling about Garrett and didn’t follow through with it until it was too late’’.

‘’Garrett only let people see what he wanted and conditioned Ward to do the same, no one is to blame but John for what happened’’.

There’s a brief pause before Skye says, ‘’I tried to kill Ward for being Hydra’’.

‘’I’d be surprised if you didn’t’’.

‘’There was a second there that I really considered going through with it, didn’t care that I loved him, or about my suspicions about Garrett’’.

‘’You had every right to be upset, the person you fell in love with lied to you’’.

‘’I know and Ward already forgave me for it, it’s just going to take a while to forgive myself’’.

Skye then tells her the full story, every dark deed and bruised feeling, every nightmare and trial she went through, about Clint and Steve and how the Avengers were always there when she needed them, just like here.

When she’s done they both have tears in their eyes and Skye says, ‘’I miss Clint’’.

‘’Me too’’.

She still has the stuffed bear Steve gave her with a pin in its fur with her name on it, it sits proudly in her office at the Playground, every time she looks at it it brings both waves of happiness and sadness.

‘’Wish they could have come with us’’.

There’s an abrupt shift in the atmosphere, something that causes the vibrations in her hands to pause and absorb something else, something approaching on a phantom wind. Skye immediately stands up and looks around, taught to trust her instincts long ago, a warning shouts in her brain, something is off. Nat asks her what’s wrong to which Skye replies, ‘’something is wrong’’. Pulling her phone out from the pocket of her black yoga pants, Quake checks the cameras around their property.

As soon as the feed flickers to life she starts yelling Ward’s name, running inside and ripping open the back door, Nat on her heels, because there are unmarked black SUV’s headed their way along with a few helicopters and jets, all armed to the teeth. Grant is unfazed, obviously checked the cameras before she did because as soon as she lays eyes on him he’s unloading weapons from the hall closet and arming himself and Kebo, puts the house on lockdown as Nat seals the back door.

Skye doesn’t have time to panic or wonder who these people are and why they’re here, all she knows is it’s no doubt a threat, and she’ll deal with them like she does every other asshole who poses a danger to her and the people she cares about. Knowing she doesn’t have time to change, Skye laces up boots and grabs the gun Ward holds out, their fingers brushing, and pauses to fix her with a look. It’s _I love you, be careful,_ all in one and Skye returns it fully.

‘’Wait how do we know whoever these people are want to kill us?’’

Kebo asks as Nat cocks her own gun and heads for the back door, Tony following as his Iron Man suit swims up his body.

Ward and Kebo position themselves at the front door while Skye tucks a knife into her boot, Grant replies, ‘’better safe than sorry’’.

‘’Maybe it’s the government coming to kill Skye again, what did you do?’’

Quake rolls her eyes, ‘’I’ve literally only been back for twenty four hours, I didn’t do anything’’.

‘’I doubt that’’.

She sticks out her tongue and Kebo says, ‘’fifty bucks says they’re after you’’.

‘’A hundred says it’s all of us’’.

‘’If anything it’s just you and Ward, I’m a Saint’’.

‘’You’re an alcoholic’’.

‘’And you’re a bitch’’.

It was meant as a joke and Skye doesn’t take offense to it but Ward does, punches Kebo in the kidney apologizes on his behalf, then makes him do the same.

‘’Jesus Christ Ward you punched me so hard’’.

‘’You deserved it’’.

Skye leans against the opposite wall and keeps an eye on the cameras, ‘’they’re nearly here, two helicopters and jets, eight SUV’s and at least a hundred man team on the ground’’.

Tony whistles, ‘’you sure they’re not here for you Cupcake?’’

‘’I can’t think of any reason why’’.

‘’How’d they find us?’’

‘’I can’t wait to figure that out’’.

Ward mutters, and everyone knows he’s going to torture whoever he can get his hands on for the information he wants.

‘’You’re so hot’’.

Skye tells him and Grant sends her a wink while Kebo gags, ‘’can you two not?’’

They both tell him to shut up.

There’s an edge of panic swimming up Skye’s spine, this is her home, her sanctuary and for years has gone undetected, the only way and armed strike team could find it is if someone told them. Skye has worked too hard to conceal this home from the world for it to come crashing down now, these walls are too important to give up, to let strangers come in and wreck it, they’ll have to pry her away from here by her cold dead hands. One glance at Grant and she knows he feels the exact same way.

Reaching across the space between them, Ward squeezes her shoulder and assures her with warm eyes that he’s not going to let anything happen to her or the house, smiles when he sees that familiar fire light her eyes. Skye lets the promise of a fight roll over her bones, readies her body, prepares herself, its second nature at this point, all she has to do is blink and she’s ready, could go for hours and hours if needed, the Black Widow trained her well.

Skye glances at her phone then to Ward who has been carefully watching the group cross their land on his own screen, his other hand steady on the gun in his hand, expertly observing for the perfect opportunity to strike. Skye steals a moment to look around her home, the mantel above the fireplace with so many pictures, the living room and kitchen where both painful and lovely memories are held inside the walls, the closed bedroom doors where so much love has been made and cherished. 

She’s not going to let anyone come here and ruin it, to shatter these windows or let it all go up in flames, they’ll have to kill her before that happens, and that’s impossible. Ward’s opportunity to hit them hard comes just a few moments later, it all happens very quickly, the ground team steps on the right spot, Ward presses a button on his phone, and the land erupts in controlled explosions. Skye forgot until this morning that Grant set up land mines that only the two of them can set off remotely when they first moved in years ago.

Quake both hears and watches the bombs go off expertly in different sections around the property, the flames and screams lighting up the afternoon, the mines are perfectly placed as to defeat the target and not damage the lands around it, Grant took weeks to plan this and study the trees and wildlife so he’d only hurt who the bombs were intended for and nothing else. Combined with his knowledge and Stark Tech, they work beautifully.

‘’And you said doomsday prepping was a waste of time’’. Ward comments, causing Skye to roll her eyes.

Of course it doesn’t take out everyone but it does unrepairable damage, the strike team stumbles but continues pressing forward against the smoke and fire, now it’s Skye’s turn to take out as many as she can before they reach the house. Just like Nat and Ward prepared for the team breaks off into two groups; one aiming for the front door and the other the back, where the Black Widow and Iron Man will be waiting. 

Skye walks out the front door and silently thanks Ward for his training and paranoia, otherwise the house would be screwed. The windows and doors are bullet and bomb proof, as it every material used to build the house itself, technically they could hide inside and this team would never be able to breach these walls, Skye and Ward could wait it out until these morons either realized it was hopeless and left, the elements got to them, or they all starved to death.

Grant has everything they need to survive in bulk in the garage, his own little apocalypse hole with canned food and bins of water for miles, blankets, space heaters, generators and bullets, they could probably last here for ten years if they needed to. Normally it makes Skye sad because that’s another part of Ward that Garrett is responsible for, his own paranoid crazy ass bleeding into Ward, and because it’s an old left over habit Grant was forced to start during his time alone in the woods for five years.

Quake has never been so glad to end a life the way she did John’s, wishes she could bring him back multiple times just to kill him over and over again. Shaking off that specific rage Skye steps off the front porch, fire and smoke choking the afternoon clouds as she feels the surviving men approach the tree line, she can see them and they can definitely see her. There’s a nervous mutter that moves through them, she feels their heartbeats quicken and as soon as they step into view she smiles.

The kind that has brought down armies and gods, the grin that spreads across her face that promises violence and death, they are weak men who do not stand a chance. Quake cocks her head to the side and waits, the shot comes a second later the bullet headed straight for, she waves it away in a ripple of power, its sent straight back to the gun that fired it. Machine guns are loaded next and Skye wastes no time in striking, she could dodge every single bullet but that’ll be too much time wasted.

Crouching on her ankles Skye places a hand on the ground, her skin humming with the vibrations of every human being in front of her and lets it rip through her. The dirt and trees shatter under the weight of her powers, the men in her path scream as the quake destroys their spines, once it’s over only craters and cracks are left where branches and bones once were, smoke and fire still rages on. The team keeps on coming, stepping over their fallen comrades to get to her, the helicopters hovering overhead.

Quake stands, puts one hand at her ankle and soars into the graying sky, lands on the sleek black jet and uses both hands to destroy one helicopter then the other. Turns her attention to the second jet who has begun to fire at her, and ends them the same way. The one she’s standing on manages to throw her off and she lands smoothly on the ground just as the surviving members of the team reach the house, this time using their military grade weapons to attack, it does no good.

Skye grabs the nearest target she can reach and breaks his neck, glides over to the one next to him and shatters his knee with a swipe of her foot, uses the knife in her boot to stop his heart. The remaining aircraft starts open firing forcing Skye to make a run for it and duck in between the still standing trees, she doesn’t see a Shield quinjet speeding through the burning afternoon land, but she does notice when the bullets stop and the jet enveloped in a blaze of scarlet mist that causes it to explode. 

Stepping out into the front yard there’s a pause as the strike team notices a new player has entered the game, Wanda Maximoff stands at the edge of the destroyed tree line in jeans and a red leather jacket, the two powerful women exchange a smile, having already made up from their fight yesterday as Lincoln steps out from behind her. 

‘’Heard you could use some help’’.

Skye shrugs and grabs the man who attempted to approach her from behind and breaks his spine, ‘’I don’t, but you might as well since you came all this way’’.

‘’Coulson figured out who this army belongs to’’.

The sound of a fight breaking out on the back porch sounds as Lincoln follows up with, ‘’your best friends Alison and Robin are hiding in an abandoned vehicle out by the main road’’.

‘’Great, thank god I don’t have to hunt them down’’.

‘’You know there’s only one reason she’d risk being here’’.

It’s Wanda who responds, ‘’because they think you will fail’’.

Skye holds out a hand to a group trying to approach the front door, they hit the front door and do not get back up, ‘’never going to happen, Lincoln make sure they don’t leave’’.

‘’Yes ma’am’’.

Quake and the Scarlet Witch stand side by side and exchange a look as Ward comes from the back part of the house to join them.

‘’You take the ones on the right’’.

‘’You do remember I don’t work for you’’.

Skye rolls her eyes, ‘’just do it’’.

‘’Only because we’re friends’’.

This assault team never stood a chance.

Quake has no idea how much time passes all that exists is targets, her hands on a gun, a knife, cutting off someone’s scream, dodging bullets, making sure Nat, Ward and Tony are alright, keeping an eye on the house to make sure no one breaks through. But it happens anyway, too many fights, too many distractions to fully prevent it. Skye hears the back door open but she’s caught up in getting out of a chokehold to do anything about it, by the time she’s clear gunfire and shattered glass is already erupting.

Kebo is still inside and Skye races to the back door to find a group of men already inside open firing, bullets destroying the couch and picture frames, the dishes on the kitchen counter, the picture frames above the fireplace, she reacts accordingly. Holds out a hand and shatters the guns into hundreds of pieces, grabs the sharpest steak knife they own and ends the life nearest to her. The rest are taken out with her fists, no one on this earth can beat her in hand to hand combat except for two people.

Nose bloody, lip split, she’ll have a mountain of bruises scattered across her skin tomorrow, Skye calls out for Kebo who peeks out from behind the tipped over coffee table. Relief fills her as she steps on broken glass to walk over to him, ‘’you okay?’’ He nods as she senses three more bodies fill out the back door, turns and holds out a hand, they go crashing back into the grass and scream as their bones break. Quake wipes the sweat from her brow and observes the damage in the living room, ‘’son of a bitch’’.

The wood floors are covered in debris and glass, everything that wasn’t bullet proof lies in pieces on counters, the couches are ruined as are the arm chairs, literally everything has bullet holes and will have to be repaired, all in all it’s not too terrible, but it still shouldn’t have happened. Kebo scratches his head, ‘’the back door might have been my fault, my bad’’. Skye glares at him, ‘’I hate you’’. They head back outside after Skye locks the door and makes sure the front is secure as well. 

The fight is dying down, Wanda and Nat taking care of a group by the meadow, Ward and Tony fighting off a few stragglers, Lincoln is still guarding Price’s car so she does not escape, Skye heads into the woods in the back of their property to make sure there are no surprises and after a few minutes of searching on foot and with the cameras, it’s all clear. Heads back into the field in front of their house to find a small remaining group of idiots still standing as she tells Lincoln to bring Alison and Robin to her.

The rest of the strike team has surrendered as the Avengers surround them in a small circle, Skye checks Tony and Nat over for injuries and breathes easier when they’re fine, she does the same to Ward who hasn’t taken his eyes off her since this started. The corner of his right eye is bruised, hands bloody, but otherwise he looks fine, a little sweaty and out of breath as they all are. He turns slightly to face her, the men on her left side as Skye says, ‘’your girlfriend is here’’.

Instead of using his words to communicate Ward grabs her by the waist and kisses her, an urgency in his lips that has her wrapping one arm around his shoulders, the other already deciding how this is going to end, the way it always does, with bodies at her feet. Flexing the fingers of her free hand, not breaking the kiss, Skye holds out a hand and the people to her left stop breathing with a wave of her power and broken bones, their screams cut off quickly. 

Neither one notices or cares yet that Lincoln has dragged Alison and Robin through the trees where she now faces them, the two people they tried so hard to destroy and failed so tragically. Grant eases away slowly, rests his forehead against her own his hands restlessly drifting up and down her back as she asks if she’s alright. Keeping her eyes closed she nods, and doesn’t even have to voice her sadness because Grant knows her, ‘’I’ll fix it, all of it I promise, you won’t even remember that any picture frames were broken’’.

Smiling she kisses him softly tells him she loves him before turning around, coming face to face with Alison. Wanda is on Lincoln’s other side ready to stop if she tries to run, Nat and Tony are standing next to Ward anger so tightly coiled in their hands.

The first thing Skye notices is the look on Alison’s face, the sharp red scented rage that has consumed her entirely, it’s obvious in the way she moves, how she holds her shoulders. Revenge has an awful habit of grabbing it’s victim by the hand and promising a wonderful time with strawberry champagne and sparklers, they’re blinded by gleaming confetti and a glittering sunrise they don’t see the knife protruding from their stomach until it’s too late.

Revenge collects corpses like perfume bottles and tosses them out when they no longer smell the same, somewhere out there there’s a landfill full of decaying organs and split fingernails, mouths open in surprised betrayal because they were promised blood red roses but had thorns stabbed through their own hearts instead. Next to their pale bodies lies the one that sought out revenge for, their enemies leg’s tangled with their own, gnarled spines touching, hands brushing, it’s the last cruel stroke revenge likes to play.

Skye of course will never see that pit of bones, revenge swallowed her whole and spit her back out, said she tasted like death itself, decided that they’d be better off as friends drinking warm tea in the middle of the night rather than the alternative. But it didn’t do the same for Alison Price, no revenge took one look at her and smiled, dragged it’s cold hands down her throat and squeezed until it was all she wanted. And now Skye will get to push her into that death ditch, right next to her bitch of a mother.

The ground below rumbles and groans, her powers stretching, dancing between her skin and the dirt as she looks at Robin who stares evenly back at her. It’s not about revenge for him, it’s about see himself as a twisted hero trying to get rid of the big bad villain that is Quake. There’s a madness in his eyes she recognizes well, Chelsea, a former Inhuman who Rosalind Price hired, wore the same expression when she betrayed Skye.

It’s a midnight fueled hatred, balanced on the edge of a blood soaked knife ready to slide down at any moment, that’s what makes him so dangerous; the waiting, the patience, the pre-meditated plans of an unknown darkness coiled around his hands headed straight for Skye and Ward. The god of malice and hatred took one look at Robin and choked him, shoved knuckles down his throat until every time he inhaled it was all the Inhuman could think about.

Skye’s own darkness meets his, fire and blood sniffing out the winter pine scent of his and laughs. Out of the two of them her monster is bigger, meaner, with sharper teeth that rip and claws that tear through flesh and bone like snow. Quake is not afraid, she has faced far worse villains, has stared down Thanos and other masters of death without flinching, this is no different. Robin and Alison are fresh glasses of cool lemonade in the middle of August compared to everyone else she’s come up against.

Physical features begin trickling into her Skye’s observations, like Alison’s hair is shorter and lighter than the last time she saw her, Robin is sporting a thick beard now with more gray hairs than brown, there are dark circles under both their eyes, they’ve lost weight and look exhausted. Revenge and hatred do that to a body, suck the life out of their victims until they have nothing left but their drive to burn everyone who ever hurt them.

There’s a reason Robin hasn’t disappeared into another reality like he probably would have already, power inhibitors are locked around his wrists, Skye loathes to use them on Inhumans in general, it’s unnatural and awful, but sometimes unfortunately necessary if you have a hostile Inhuman and want to keep not only them safe, but everyone else around them as well. Quake wipes the blood from her lip and is deciding how she wants to handle this when Ward takes a step to Alison.

Anger lights her face at first, but then softness rounds her cheeks, affection flickers in her eyes as she drinks in the sight of the man she once claimed to love, Skye wonders if that love is still there or if her delusions have finally burned themselves out. Skye lets Ward make the first move since he was the most damaged by their visit to that alternate timeline, she puts a hand on his back and it only lessens the tension in his bones slightly.

It hasn’t escaped Skye’s notice that Wanda is watching her every move, if anyone could stop her from killing Robin it’s the Scarlet Witch, if Quake wanted to strike she’d have to do it quickly and with a distraction. Robin is the first to speak, eyes on Skye, lips curled up in disgust as she shuffled forward and sparks light Lincoln’s fingertips.

‘’You going to kill us now?’’ Skye cocks her head to the side, ‘’I’m going to play with you first’’. Alison winces but keeps her attention on Grant as he starts approaching her, only a few feet between them as she opens her mouth, warmth in her gaze a slight smile stretching slowly. And then Ward punches her in the face, the sound so loud against the quieting forest as Kebo curses and winces as her body hits the ground, no one stops to help as she’s rendered unconscious. 

Skye then asks Robin, ‘’how did you find out where I lived?’’

The cocky smirk doesn’t look good on him as he replies, ‘’how was your trip? Looked like you were having so much fun trying to kill your husband’’.

‘’You know gloating only works if your plan was a success’’-

‘’Wasn’t it though? Even though you two are back you’ll never be the same, especially your asshole of a husband’’.

Skye crosses her arms, ‘’you’re still mad at him’’.

‘’He literally tortured me once’’.

‘’You deserved it’’.

‘’And you two deserved all the shit that happened to you over there’’.

Skye flexes her fingers and Wanda clears her throat, Quake sighs at her, ‘’I really don’t have time for your morals right now’’.

‘’You know what the right thing to do is, it’s not this’’.

‘’God you sound like Clint’’.

That gets a nostalgic smile at her and Skye turns her attention back to Robin, ‘’here are your options, you tell me what I want to know or Natasha is going to take you for a spin’’.

The Black Widow flashes a grin Skye has perfected over the years and Robin takes a nervous step back.

‘’Since I have no desire to be tortured again, it was your friend’’.

Robin tells Ward, and everyone looks to Kebo out of habit who gapes.

‘’What the hell are you looking at me for? I think we’ve all established I’d never betray Ward’’.

Skye is the only one who still focuses on him and he shoots her the finger, ‘’oh screw off Skye’’.

Grant obviously knows Kebo would never do anything to hurt him, Skye mainly did it just to get under his skin, when Robin clarifies, ‘’the Scottish one, the scientist’’.

Everyone freezes as one, Skye is already in denial and Ward is stone faced and still, the breeze ruffling his dark hair.

‘’Fitz? You’re telling me Leopold Fitz betrayed Skye and Ward?’’

Lincoln’s shock matches everyone else’s as Tony comments, ‘’you’re lying’’.

‘’I’m not, why would I? I have nothing to lose, and I really don’t feel like having my bones shattered again. Ask him yourself he probably won’t deny it’’.

Skye absorbs the information and stores it for later, until she look in Fitz’s face and see the truth, she walks up to Ward’s side and sets a comforting hand on his arm but he’s coiled tight with tension. The irony is not lost on Skye if this is true, Ward betrayed Fitz once, it only seems fair for him to return the favor eventually, Skye of course doesn’t agree with the theory but if that’s the motive it’d make a little sense, ignoring the fact that Ward’s betrayal was twelve years ago and Fitz forgave him for it, they’ve been friends for years now.

Skye isn’t going to let Ward believe he deserves it though, she can tell that’s circling his brain right now, if she could physically crawl into his mind and drag the cruel cycle of his thoughts out she would, but she has to settle with taking his hand and offering every kind of support he needs. Kebo steps up as well and scoffs at Robin, hand on the gun in it’s holster.

‘’Why the hell would Fitz betray Ward? They’re friends’’.

‘’Weren’t they friends when he betrayed him years ago too?’’

‘’You’re lying’’.

‘’No he’s not’’.

Ward says, his voice soft, guarded and Robin grins, ‘’told you’’.

Ali groans on the ground and this time Lincoln helps her stand, her jaw swollen as she glares at Quake, ‘’I wish you were dead’’.

‘’Everyone does, get in line’’.

It’s Kebo who asks the burning question, ‘’I know why Price did this, but why did you?’’ He looks at Robin, ‘’isn’t your feud with Quake uncalled for and a little old? Get over it’’.

‘’You don’t even know me’’.

Kebo winks at Ali, ‘’you’re in love with Ward, that’s all I need to know’’.

Lincoln rolls his eyes, ‘’is that why you sent Quake into that machine? For a shot with her husband?’’

‘’The original plan was just to throw Skye into that other reality, Ward was intended to stay here’’. 

When Alison doesn’t defend herself Skye laughs, knowing it’s the truth and Robin joins her, ‘’you honestly thought that with me out of the picture Ward would just love you instead?’’

Price shuffles uncomfortably on her feet and Skye wipes her eyes, no traces of humor lingering when she opens her mouth to snarl something, but Ward beats her to it.

His voice velvet smooth as he tells Ali, ‘’I suppose I should be thanking you’’.

The glow at capturing his attention fizzles out when anger bleeds into his eyes.

‘’Because of you I fell in love with my wife all over again, how many people can say that? I’ve only known one love in my life, it wasn’t you’’.

There is no room for softness here, but Skye leans against Ward’s arm anyway, reminding him she’s here and not going anywhere, that she loves him too.

‘’Oh my god can you just kill us already? The last thing I want to hear about is how much you love each other’’.

Skye shifts on her feet, unsure if she wants to interrogate them here or at the Playground, when Wanda speaks up, ‘’what did Hydra do you to?’’

Robin winces at the mention of the organization, ‘’nothing I want to talk about’’.

‘’I can help you if you want, I won’t let them hurt you’’.

Skye rolls her eyes while Robin scoffs, ‘’you really think Quake is going to let me live?’’

‘’I can stop her if I have to’’.

‘’You can certainly try’’.

Skye mutters, even though it’s futile because if anyone on the planet is strong enough to hold her back, it’s Wanda.

‘’Hydra tortured and brain washed me too, just like they did to Ward and Bucky Barnes, if your actions are a result of that it’s not entirely your fault, Skye knows that’’.

‘’Skye is regretting letting you onto the property’’.

Wanda doesn’t acknowledge Quake, ‘’I can help if you let me’’.

There’s a long pause and Robin lets out a breath, Skye says, ‘’if he wasn’t brain washed you just gave him the idea, he can play you into letting him live even though he deserves to die’’.

Alison is watching them all carefully as she comments, ‘’if anyone deserves to die here it’s you’’.

Skye sighs, ‘’look I admit we did a shitty thing to you’’-

‘’Ward pretended to love me in order to save you, and then you killed my mother’’.

‘’Yeah I’m not going to apologize for that, she was a real bitch’’.

‘’So are you’’.

‘’It’s been established’’.

Bored with all this talk, Skye decides to copy Ward’s violence and punches Robin in the nose, the sound of the clean break echoes between the trees as blood pours down his face.

‘’That was for attacking my house’’.

‘’At least the exterior is fine, you’re welcome for that by the way, it’s the interior that’s the problem’’.

Tony comments as he glances around at the fading flames and black smoke, the bodies on the ground, blood mixing with the freshly mowed green grass.

‘’You really think Fitz is capable of betraying us?’’

Skye whispers to Nat as Wanda presses Robin and Ward asks Alison questions.

‘’He hasn’t been the same since the Framework, it’s possible’’.

She then explains how his personality in the Framework occasionally bleeds through into the real world, Coulson has been monitoring it.

‘’Any thoughts at how to help him?’’

‘’May’s ex-husband has been giving him weekly counseling sessions, it’s a start but if this betrayal is recent it’s obviously not helping like we hoped’’.

Sighing Skye looks up at the clouds, ‘’they attacked my house’’.

It’s hitting her then, these assholes came into her sanctuary, her safe place with the intent to destroy it, to rip apart her safe harbor because Alison Price told them to.

Natasha takes her hand, ‘’we can repair it, you won’t even remember what happened’’.

‘’Does this mean we need to move?’’

‘’Not if you don’t want to, but I’d find out if Price told anyone else where you live just to be sure’’.

She looks over to Tony who is one his phone, ‘’dad can you’’-

‘’Already on it, hold please’’.

Feeling like this is being dragged out, Skye makes a choice on what to do with Alison and Robin, one of them isn’t getting out of here alive.

Robin is still staunching the blood from his nose, Wanda watching her, when she sighs and tells Lincoln, ‘’call Everett Ross and tell him I need a transport team’’.

Wanda smiles, ‘’did you do that to make me shut up or because you believe him?’’

‘’Maybe both, maybe for other reasons too’’.

Robin lets a wave of relief wash over him as Wanda follows up with, ‘’yesterday you and Grant were intent on killing him, what changed your mind?’’

‘’Honestly nothing, I still want him dead, but then I started thinking that under different circumstances, he could have been Ward’’.

Grant glances over his shoulder at her, expression soft, and Skye knows she probably should have talked to him about this before she decided, because if anyone in this situation deserves revenge more, it’s him. But he assures her with kind eyes it’s alright, and maybe just maybe both of their judgements were clouded on this one and Wanda made them see it all differently. Even with this newfound knowledge it doesn’t stop Ward from grabbing Lincoln’s ICER and knocking Robin out in a flash of blue light.

While Lincoln and Tony drag Robin off to the quinjet, Skye and Ward look to Alison who has started to sweat, Quake is surprised she’s kept so quiet this whole time. Price is still so focused on Ward as tears fill her eyes, her resolve crumbling.

Skye runs a hand through her hair, ‘’if you’re going to beg for your life can you do it in your head? I’m not in the mood’’.

Ali’s voice is shaky when she replies, ‘’you’re a monster’’.

‘’Says the woman who sent someone to an alternate timeline in the hopes to get her husband into bed’’.

‘’It was also revenge for killing mother!’’

‘’Yeah and look how that worked out for you’’.

‘’You psychotic bitch!’’

‘’Cry a river about it in hell, say hi to your mom for me while you’re there’’.

Skye steps in between Price and Ward, ‘’I still haven’t actually decided how I’m going to kill you yet’’.

She glances at her husband, ‘’is she into choking?’’

Grant shoots her an unamused look as Ali starts crying.

‘’I told you what you happen if you went up against me’’.

‘’I didn’t’’-

Alison’s sentence is abruptly cut off by a single shot to the chest, a bullet strikes fast and true, killing her instantly.

Grant puts his gun away without a word and Kebo whistles, ‘’well then’’.

He turns to Skye and turns them so they’re facing away from Alison’s bleeding body, ‘’I’m tired, I just wanted this to be over’’.

Skye touches his face, wipes drying scarlet off his skin, ‘’are you okay?’’

Wrapping both arms around her Ward sighs into her hair, ‘’I just want to go back to the way it was before we were forced to go through that machine’’.

‘’We will, I promise’’.

She surveys the damage behind him, Tony and Nat were right, all of it can be easily repaired and replaced.

Grant buries his face into her neck, bending down slightly and just holds her for a minute, Skye runs her fingers up and down his back in comfort, can almost see some of that heaviness leaving his body.

‘’Are we going to bury her on the property or?’’

Kebo asks, breaking the silence, Skye and Ward pull apart but he keeps one arm around her waist.

They decide to all go to the Playground and wait for Ross, Skye discussing how to help Fitz with Ward.

When they reach Shield’s classified secret base and the heavy door slide open, Skye and Ward come face to face with Jemma Simmons, who is visibly shaking her cheeks tear stained. Skye says nothing just pulls her in for a hug, they’ve become close friends over the years and Simmons falls into her arms. Jemma apologizes over and over while Skye shushes her and promises it’s alright, it wasn’t Fitz’s fault, Simmons keeps saying the Framework is to blame for this.

Skye pulls back, hands on her shoulders, ‘’I’m not going to hurt him’’-

‘’But he told Alison where you live, he betrayed you, I, I love him you have to save’’-

‘’It wasn’t his fault, I believe you and I’m going to help him’’.

Simmons focuses her teary eyed gaze to Ward, ‘’I’m so sorry Grant’’.

Her husband isn’t a fan of physical affection, Skye being the exception, but he just shakes his head and hugs Jemma tightly. Tells her it’s alright, no one was hurt, it’s okay.

‘’I don’t know how to help him, he has these moments where it’s like he’s someone else entirely, like he’s his Doctor persona from the Framework then in a flash he’s fine, he’s my Fitz again’’.

‘’We’re going to help him, it’s all going to be okay’’.

‘’How?’’

‘’I think he should talk to our therapist Paul, that’s what I recommend anyway, he’s helped Ward so much over the years, me too’’.

Simmons nods and wipes her face as Ward releases her, ‘’when he comes back he keeps talking about you’’.

Ward straightens, ‘’how do you mean?’’

‘’I keep telling him it’s not his fault that it was programmed into him, and he says he’s just like Ward’’.

Grant winces, ‘’what do you need from me? I can try talking to him if you think that will help’’.

‘’I think it would actually, I’ll ask how he feels about Paul as well’’.

Skye takes Ward’s hand as he asks, ‘’where is he?’’

‘’In the lab’’.

Ward gestures that he’s going to visit and Skye nods, he kisses her quickly and walks away, Simmons following as Skye hugs her one last time.

Skye waits until he’s out of sight before heading to her office, Nat and Tony trailing behind her, Kebo stayed back at the house to clean up while Wanda is waiting for Ross and is also making sure Skye follows through with her word. After showering, eating lunch, sending Victoria to make sure Ward eats as well, and Lincoln cleaning and patching her few wounds, Skye sits at her desk in the dark and weeps quietly.

Both in relief and sadness for her home, for Fitz, reflecting on what happened to Grant all those years ago, that version she met in both alternate realities. Wonders if they never remembered each other over there would Ward learn to forgive himself? If he wasn’t killed by Garrett the first time Robin forced her in that different dimension, who would he have become? Would he still slit his wrists after thinking he couldn’t survive without John Garrett?

Natasha sits next to her holding her hand as Tony informs them from the couch Fitz didn’t tell anyone else about her home in Montana, Skye grabs a bottle of Scotch from the desk drawer and takes a long sip, staring at the object on her desk as it stares right back at her. The plush stuffed bear Steve gave her is still fluffed and soft to the touch, the plaque with her name on it shiny and polished, she took it off its shelf an hour ago and has been looking at for an hour.

Missing Steve, knowing both he and Clint would know the perfect thing to tell her and Ward right now, and the ache her missing friends left will never be filled. All she can do is live, honor them the only ways she knows how, and keep going. Because that’s what they’d want, and she knows Clint would be proud of her choice on handling Robin today, that was a major selling point for not killing him if she’s being honest.

Nat, knowing where her head is at, brushes her long hair away from her shoulders, ‘’you did the right thing’’.

‘’Would you still love me even if I didn’t?’’

‘’Of course I would, you never have to doubt that’’.

‘’What if Fitz is too far gone to save?’’

‘’I’ll take care of it, you don’t have to do anything. But I don’t think he is, everyone deserves a chance, to be saved, we won’t stop fighting until we have to’’.

‘’I just hope he doesn’t cause irreparable damage in the meantime’’.

‘’You can always take him out of Shield if you’re worried about it, force him into retirement or isolation’’.

Skye passes her the bottle of Scotch, ‘’did Ward seem weird to you earlier?’’

‘’His friend did just betray him, I’m sure he thought he deserved it’’.

‘’I wish I could kill John Garrett all over again’’.

Victoria knocks on the door to inform her Ross is here and she tells Coulson to handle it, not in the mood to deal with the politics of this job today.

Skye falls asleep an hour later and dreams of Alison’s body hitting the ground, and the rolling green hills of Ireland, Ward’s smile on the outlands of Scotland, and a peaceful easy feeling travels through her bloodstream. They made it out of a hell alive and the people responsible were punished as a result, she can handle anything as long as Ward is with her.

That'll never change.


	27. Time, Mystical Time, Cutting Me Open Then Healing Me Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out what happened to that other version of Skye and Ward from the alternate universe Robin and Alison sent our couple to, the Skyeward versions here begin to recover from what was done to them, and Ward gets a new job offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The very beginning of this chapter catches up to Skyeward in that parallel universe, then goes back to our version of Skyeward in present time. 
> 
> Well, here's to an end to another great fic in this series.
> 
> Thank you to those who always read, always comment. I appreciate it so much, and plan to post the final installment of this series soon!

There’s a certain kind of silence in the way you move around someone who has been broken, a specific gentleness in how you speak to them, you have to have a certain kindness so they can be assured you won’t hurt them like everyone else. So many pieces of that person have been stripped clean, ripped away, never to be seen again, they either have to start over or let the empty grief drive them into a dark abyss alone.

Sometimes they rise, are reborn out of the blackness into something bright, someone warm with scars who has learned that the world doesn’t stop turning even when you feel like it is, when you want it to. But sometimes they don’t, sometimes they let rage and loss consume them until their heart is black with it and no light can ever reach them again. Skye is going to be damned if she lets that happen to Ward, she’d rather go through that labyrinth herself than to see him crumble under the weight of it.

Snow falls quietly outside, the crystal window giving a clear view of the iced trees and gray clouds, it’s below freezing and the cabin she’s in is toasty warm with thick blankets and a fireplace. Wrapped in a blue sweater and yoga pants with wool socks, Skye sips cinnamon flavored coffee and doesn’t feel content, too worried and restless for that, but nearly relaxed, like she stepped into a hot bath, all her muscles soothed, no tension.

The air smells of melting peaches and sugar, the shower in the bathroom is still going as nice background noise, the fire cackling, the living area she’s standing in empty save for the mountain of pillows and quilts on the leather couches. The cabin is one of Natasha’s safe houses, in the middle of nowhere which means Shield, Hydra or anyone else after Skye and Ward has no hope in finding them. Which is good because Skye hates being on the run, shitty food and hotel rooms, constantly looking over your shoulder, it’s not the case here but even if it were, she’d do it for Ward if necessary.

It’s a small space, a tiny kitchen with a single window, one bedroom and a bathroom, under constant surveillance and high security thanks to Tony Stark, it’s safe, something Ward needs right now, to be able to process his emotions, the loss of John Garrett in a secure environment without the paranoia of being found adding to everything else. Both Clint and Skye found a good therapist for Grant to speak to which he agreed to and has met with twice now. Something Shield should have offered instead of throwing him in a basement.

Quake has debated every night on going back to the Playground and destroying it and everyone inside, starting with Phil Coulson, but Grant and Steve always manage to talk her out of it, much to her annoyance. If anyone deserves to die here it’s Phil, who loves to play hero but is really just as corrupt and sadistic as Garrett was, only difference is John owned up to his faults, Coulson never has and probably never will.

There’s a special kind of pain wanting for the people who pretend to be good, who lie to themselves and others that they are, but in reality are the most hypocritical assholes you’ll ever meet. If an opportunity ever arises for Skye to administer that brand of torture to Phil, she’ll do it with a smile on her face. Grant needed psychological help and instead the organization who claimed to be heroes locked him up with no blankets or light and tried to send him back to one of his abusers.

Even if Skye didn’t understand why Ward did the things he did, she’d never be okay with Shield treating him the way they did, if nothing else he should have been sent to a maximum security prison, not shoved in a dark hole. Which begs the question how did Coulson get away with that anyway? The U.S. government demanded Hydra agents be caught and placed in their custody to await a proper trial, if anything Phil broke the law smuggling Grant into the Playground.

Sighing, Skye shoves the rage to the side, not wanting to focus on how she’s going to shatter the Director of Shield’s bones one day, and glances to the bathroom towards the back of the cabin. Where Ward is still in the shower, the door closed but unlocked, as worry once again takes over. Not that she ever stops being concerned about him, it’s like a habit at this point. Wake up, make coffee, shower, brush teeth, work out, worry about Grant, make lunch, have a beer, worry about her lover.

The edges of her mind fog with a hazy memory of touching his face in a hotel room, of an orange glow in a smoky basement, the same passing image that has clawed its way to the surface over the last few days. The same reality that greeted her four days ago when she woke up at Stark Tower and Tony and Natasha had a story to tell, why the last thing she remembers is falling asleep after telling Grant she loved him in Vault D.

Apparently different versions of themselves were sent here without any memory of their lives in their own timelines, woke up in these bodies and eventually remembered one another and where they came from. After breaking Ward out of Vault D and going on the run, Quake and Grant made a move to take out Hydra, which Shield followed, and the two returned to their own timeline back home. Leaving this Skye and Ward to suffer the consequences as Shield found their unconscious bodies on the floor.

Coulson and May were going to arrest them both but the Avengers got there and defended them of course, Tony would never let Skye be locked up and if they tried, Shield would have had to go through Nat, and no one is stupid enough to do that. So after asking Ward if he’d be comfortable here to which he responded yes, he and Skye are to be hidden here until further notice. The Avengers are working on clearing Grant’s name and dealing with his piece of shit family who are making trouble politically for him.

What happened with Skye and Ward’s counterparts are a fuzzy daydream, and Skye isn’t sure she wants to know, she just wants to live in the moment with Ward and help him heal and recover however she can.

The shower stops, Skye puts her empty coffee mug in the sink as the door opens, she doesn’t hear his feet but knows Grant went back into the bedroom they’ve been sharing. So far he hasn’t had any nightmares but sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night to him curled around her, whimpering, so she strokes his hair and tells him stories to soothe the ghosts that haunt, all too familiar with the dead who scream when the moon is out.

There’s an aching sadness in Grant that not even she can heal, only time and progress with his therapist can do that, so Skye just stands at his side offering support and whatever else he might need. A shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold, a calm voice to assure him everything is going to be okay. When he doesn’t appear in the living area, Skye heads to the bedroom to find him sprawled across the mattress face down, only in black boxer briefs, the curtains on the window sealed against the bright snow.

Beads of water trickle down his spine, running off the muscles in his back, Skye sits on the edge of the king size bed carefully, toying with the light blue quilt covering it as he sinks into the white sheets and pillows. Not wanting to smother him because she is not his mother and neither of them would respect her if she turned into his caretaker, Skye treads carefully and slowly puts out a hand, asking permission if it’s alright to touch him.

When his head shifts in her direction and nods, her scarred fingers settle on the small of his equally scarred back, those whiskey eyes so focused on her face. ‘’Do you want breakfast?’’ Skye isn’t the best cook but she can manage eggs and toast, if she thinks about it too much it’s as if their roles from when they first met have reversed. Now she’s the one concerned if he’s sleeping and eating enough, if the fragile state of his mind is going to implode.

Skye wouldn’t blame him if he did, after everything he’s lived through, the non-stop abuse for nearly thirty years straight, the manipulating, conditioning and brain washing, Shield and Garrett treating him as if he’s a weapon, a body to be used however they see fit, Grant has every right to want to watch the world burn. She’d be there with a match and gasoline for whatever he decided, if he wants to destroy Shield or burn his family alive she’d help. Nothing he could ever do would scare her off or make her leave.

‘’I think there’s still bacon in the fridge, Nat said she’d bring more the next time she checks in’’.

Still watching her with those amber eyes, Ward replies, ‘’I can make it’’.

‘’I don’t mind’’.

Skye would compare the expressions he used to have to the one constantly plastered on his face now, but she always catches herself, because he’s not the man he presented himself to be to her.

There’s still a little anger there, but understanding layers over it knowing what she does now.

Grant never had a choice on what was done to him, and while he’s done horrible things it wasn’t always his fault.

‘’Are you sure?’’

‘’Yeah’’.

He rises a few moments later and offers a shaky hand to help her up, Skye grips his fingers tightly and when they’re facing one another, she takes her free hand and he gestures it’s alright so she cups his face.

‘’I love you’’.

The reminder causes him to shudder and then he’s crushing her to his water chilled chest, bending down so his face is pressed into her neck.

He’s fragile, oh so fragile and the last thing she ever wants to do is crack his already broken heart.

Ward shudders just a bit against her, ‘’you know you’re the first person that’s ever told me that’’.

He’s admitted this before but it still makes her sad, this man has suffered his entire life and no one ever helped or noticed what he was going through.

‘’You deserve people who care about you, a family, and I’m so sorry you didn’t get that growing up, but you have that now, if you want it’’.

He doesn’t say, _‘’the Avengers only care about me because of you’’,_ which could be true for at least two of them, but everyone else understands Grant just like her and wants to help.

‘’I care what happens to you Grant, so does Kebo and Nat and Clint, we’re here for you, whatever you need’’.

Kebo has been MIA since that other version of Grant said goodbye to him in a parking lot, but Tony found him a few hours ago and he’s on his way up here.

‘’I wish John wasn’t dead’’.

The statement does not take her by surprise, he’s mumbled it in his sleep a couple times.

Empathy tugs at her skin, ‘’I know’’.

‘’I don’t know who I am without him, what my purpose is now that he’s gone. I don’t, Skye I don’t understand the world anymore’’.

Tears fill her eyes, she holds him a little tighter as he starts shaking against her.

‘’I’m so sorry Grant, I’’-

‘’Do you really believe he brain washed me?’’

Skye runs both hands up his back, ‘’yes I do’’.

‘’Why didn’t anyone at Shield notice?’’

His tone is so childlike, vulnerable, it breaks her heart.

They both know the answer to this but Skye still replies, ‘’because Garrett didn’t want them to, and because they’re all stupid pieces of shit’’.

‘’My parents were monsters, I’m starting to understand that John might have been one too, but I can’t decide who was worse’’.

‘’I think they were all different kinds of monsters, and you deserved so much better’’.

‘’I don’t know if I agree with that’’.

‘’Hopefully one day you will, and I’ll always be here to remind you’’.

His arms band around her waist as he lifts his face to look at her, eyes full of a love and wonder she doesn’t deserve, ‘’sometimes I still think I’m dreaming, that I’m in Vault D, you’re not really here and I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone’’.

Skye tenderly holds his face, thumbs stroking those sculpted cheekbones, ‘’you’re awake, I’m right here, I promise. If you need me to prove it I can’’.

They haven’t had sex since the hotel room before she found out his affiliation with Hydra, which seems so long ago, and the idea of anything physical hasn’t crossed her mind until now.

The comment was meant as a joke to lighten the mood and didn’t necessarily mean anything sex related, but Grant’s hands drift lower down her back, a welcome surprise.

‘’How exactly would you prove it?’’

‘’However you want me to’’.

There’s a spark of something but then it’s gone and his hands glide up to settle on her shoulders, ‘’I’ll keep that in mind’’.

Never going to pressure him for anything especially with everything he’s going through, Skye stands on her toes to kiss his cheek, ‘’how about we both cook breakfast?’’

He rubs her shoulders before releasing her, ‘’okay’’.

They head into the kitchen with Skye watching carefully as he makes a cup of coffee.

‘’I’m not going to hurt myself you know’’.

He comments while getting a skillet out from under the sink.

Skye pauses with a gallon of orange juice in her hands, the plastic so cold, ‘’you did once’’.

Though the details are lost in tangle of wedding rings and teary declarations of love, she remembers that much.

The scars on that other version of Ward’s wrists, the one on his forehead, by the look on her Grant’s face right now, he does as well.

‘’I’m not him Skye’’.

‘’I know that’’.

‘’Do you wish I was?’’

That gets an eyebrow raise, ‘’what?’’

‘’Not about the hurting myself part but everything else, the guy seemed pretty put together’’.

She puts down the juice, ‘’how much do you remember?’’

‘’Not much, bits and pieces, but I do know that other version of me was stable, you married him’’.

‘’Okay well that other you was older, and you can’t compare yourself to him it’s not fair. So no I don’t want you to be anyone else, I like who you are just fine’’.

‘’Even now?’’

He gestures to himself like she’s able to physically see all the shattered bits of him.

‘’Yes even now, there’s nothing wrong with you Grant. You’re just lost and grieving and that’s okay’’.

‘’Is it?’’

‘’Of course it is, you’re allowed to feel and react however you see fit to your current situation’’.

There’s a long pause as he heats up the stove and places bacon on the skillet once it’s hot enough, leaving Skye to pour the juice and turn on the toaster.

‘’I don’t deserve you’’.

Skye nearly throws her glass at him, but it’d be unkind and hypocritical considering she thinks the same thing about herself.

‘’We deserve each other, face it you’re stuck with me robot’’.

A smile she hasn’t seen in what feels like years lights his face as he leans over to kiss her forehead.

And even though she knows he’s got a long road ahead of him, and they do as well as a couple, she’ll be with him every step away.

Everything is going to be just fine, he’ll be okay one day, and she’ll wait for whenever that is with open arms and all the love he deserves.

Because in the end all that truly matters is love, and not the hatred they’ve both learned and experienced.

* 

Ice on the ceiling, frosted over the warm painted walls, every book is dusted with a fine layer of snow, each clean surface covered in white, if you step onto the floor you’re sure to slide and break something, yourself or something else, shatter the icicles hanging sharp and ready on the windows. This room has shaped itself into Ward’s own personal winter, coating his hands and ears, chilling his nose, if he blinks it’ll all disappear.

This is an illusion of course, his longtime therapist, Paul’s office, has not transformed into a December morning, even if it feels like it. The glass of water on the side table is not frozen, sticking to the wood, he can’t see the fog of his breath when he exhales, nor Paul’s. Knowing this is a subconscious reaction to what they just discussed, Grant blinks and the snow vanishes, dries up and takes the frost and ice with it, leaving only a sunny afternoon soaking in the leather couch Grant is currently sitting on.

Paul sits in an office chair across from him, tablet and notebook in his lap, glasses perched on the edge of his nose, waiting patiently for Ward to broach the next topic, but it’s one he’s dreading, something Skye had no issue discussing with him when she visited last week, but for some reason talking about the attack on their house causes annoyance to sliver up his spine, doesn’t take a genius to figure out why considering Grant’s past.

He can still see Skye’s panicked expression when she realized what was happening, it haunts him, he was supposed to keep the one thing she held dear and sacred safe, their house is supposed to be a refuge to come to at the end of a long day, when the world is so dark and poisonous and they can hang their coats up, take off their clothes and unwind, unwrap themselves from all the ties that bind them throughout the day and just be themselves, love each other.

Grant, even though Skye, Kebo and then Avengers have assured him otherwise, believes that he has failed. As a husband, a man, at keeping the wolves after himself and Skye from coming into their home and clawing, biting and raging until nothing was left. Of course there was no real damage done, in the two weeks since Alison and Robin’s attack their home in Montana has been repaired and restored to it’s original glory.

In Grant’s nearly forty years on this earth he’s learned that life takes pieces of you, every day it takes a knife and makes small cuts into your skin, until one day you’re staring in the mirror bleeding and can’t remember why, how the carpet got soaked in fresh red blood, how the blade got wedged into your clenched hands. Grant has looked into that glass so many times, glared, laughed and sobbed at the man looking back, he’s someone who has never forgotten how he got there, who put that knife in his hand.

But if there’s one thing therapy has taught him it’s that not everything was his fault, the scars life inflicted upon his shoulders and knees were put there by villains, people who misunderstood him, and yes sometimes even himself, but grace and forgiveness is a funny thing, something he’s made strides on over the years. But for some reason this time is harder, having patience for the person in the mirror hasn’t been as easy recently, Ward thinks it’s because of his recent brush with John Garrett.

Paul clears his throat, pulling Grant back to the present and he sighs, grabs that glass of water and drinks deeply, glad he already brought up John once a few minutes ago and doesn’t have to do so again. Ward longs for the day his dead mentor will disappear from his life, his head forever, but has a feeling that may never happen, ghosts tend to linger with Grant, much to his annoyance. Even though he’s long since healed from certain scars and is healthier and better than he’s ever been in his entire life, there are just some things you may never heal from.

Some sufferings are just too graphic, too tragic to ever recover from fully.

‘’How are you doing with the transition to being back?’’

Ward takes off his tan leather jacket, drapes it over the sofa, ‘’good, it’s easier than I expected’’.

‘’How do you mean?’’

‘’Well I’m not having nightmares or panic attacks, not seeing Garrett when I turn a corner or feeling guilty about anything that happened with him’’.

Paul smiles, ‘’that’s wonderful Grant, that’s progress, you should be proud of yourself for that, I know I am. You wouldn’t have been able to sing the same tune a few years ago’’.

God knows that’s true.

‘’Let’s talk about what you are feeling guilty about though, if you’re comfortable with that’’.

‘’Well what happened with Skye in that other timeline, you already know about that’’.

‘’I do, just like I know none of that was your fault’’.

‘’Logically I understand that, Garrett made me do terrible things, I’ve known that for years now, but forgiving myself is a lot easier said than done’’.

‘’And it doesn’t help to know that Skye forgives you for it?’’

Grant smiles with no humor behind it. ‘’she’d forgive me for anything’’.

‘’Even for the attack on your house?’’

Leave it to Paul to circle back around to the original topic.

Ward glances out the window, hears bullets firing into his living room, the sounds of the explosions he set going off, smells the smoke and blood.

‘’How are you handling that?’’

A sigh, then Ward replies, ‘’it’s made me more paranoid if that’s even possible, Skye too, she wants to put up an electric fence and I can’t say I blame her’’.

‘’It’s a perfectly normal reaction, you two feel violated from your home being invaded’’.

‘’We do routine checks around the property now before we go to sleep, I used to just check the cameras but now both Skye and I do a walk around because if not we can’t fall asleep’’.

‘’Does that bother you?’’

‘’It makes her feel better, me as well, what happened with Alison and Robin shouldn’t have’’.

‘’Did you not say it was Fitz who told them where you live? How could have controlled that?’’

‘’I wasn’t here, didn’t know how far he’d gone down this hole he’s in, I should have watched him more or’’-

‘’Grant, remember that you can’t control everything, and you can’t predict how people are going to react to things. Fitz is going through something terrible, you couldn’t have possibly known how he was going to react or what he was going to do’’.

‘’I know that’’.

Ward wrings his hands together, ‘’my home is supposed to be secure, Skye was counting on it to be invincible, impenetrable, somewhere she could be herself, and I failed her’’.

‘’Remember when you used to blame yourself for every bad thing that ever happened to yourself and Skye? We’re past that aren’t we? What happened to your house was not your fault’’.

‘’Wasn’t it? I brought Alison Price down on our heads, I’m the reason all of this started in the first place, I went to the ATCU and pretended to be in love with her to get what I want. None of this would have happened if I just told Skye about what Rosalind was planning’’.

‘’Well that’s not exactly true is it? If you weren’t involved Skye and the Avengers would have eventually figured out what Rosalind planned to do to her and the end result would have probably still been the same, Skye would have gotten revenge anyway, and Alison would have still come after her’’.

‘’Ali probably wouldn’t have involved Robin or sent us through that machine into that timeline’’.

‘’Maybe, maybe not, who’s to say? Dwelling on what could or could not have happened never helped anyone, you know that’’.

Stress has Grant pinching the bridge of his nose, ‘’I just feel like I broke Skye’s trust, and I don’t know how to stop it’’.

‘’Did she tell you that you did?’’

‘’No’’.

Before Paul can follow up, Grant says, ‘’and I know that’s just Garrett and my family talking, but it’s getting harder to remember why they’re wrong’’.

After Paul suggests multiple things that will help, Ward switches to something else that’s been pressing on him.

‘’Robin is in a mental institution in Turkey’’.

‘’So I heard’’.

‘’I’m surprised we let him out of this alive’’.

Paul tilts his head to the side, ‘’are you? I’m not’’.

‘’Why?’’

‘’You and Skye are good people, and Robin needed help’’.

‘’That wasn’t the original plan’’.

‘’I’m aware, but you really can’t see the bigger picture here? Why you and Skye let Ross arrest him?’’

Part of the reason on Skye’s end was just to shut up Wanda and Bucky and Ward went along with it.

At his silence Paul clarifies, ‘’because under very different circumstances Grant, Robin could have been you, doing awful things because you thought you were in the right as a result of brain washing, receiving no psychological help and left out in the wind with no one to care about if you lived or died’’.

The words settle over him and Ward realizes his therapist is right.

‘’Maybe you saw that and Skye did too, for whatever reason Robin is getting the help he deserves and hopefully one day he heals fully and makes amends to all those he’s hurt in the past’’.

‘’I don’t think I can ever forgive him’’.

‘’It’s perfectly alright if you don’t’’.

‘’Does that make me a bad person?’’

Paul smiles, ‘’no, it makes you human’’.

The session ends with Grant feeling lighter as he drives out of the parking lot, on his way to the jet at Stark Tower that will take him home to Stark’s cabin, to Skye, who had a meeting with her grief group this morning and should be there by now. It’s the second time she’s met with them since they’ve been back and apparently it was like she never left them, everything picked up smoothly as if she didn’t disappear for months.

A few hours later when Grant pulls up to Tony Stark’s cabin he has to squeeze the SUV into a parking spot because there are so many cars lined along the property. On the way here Skye sent a message that the Avengers and her Inhumans are having a get together because Tony demanded it, a delayed celebration of their return. Grant walks up the front porch to be greeted by Pepper who hugs him tightly and pats his cheek affectionately as Rhodey smiles and hands her a mug of tea.

The cabin is full of superheroes when he walks in, Bruce and Wanda are in the living area laughing at whatever is being said, they give him a smile and nod as a hello, Simmons Mack and the Inhumans are lingering by the kitchen, they exchange hugs with Grant as he asks Jemma quietly how Fitz is doing. They’ve had multiple conversations about what he’s going through and how Ward understands how he’s feeling, Fitz has also been seeing Paul regularly, hopefully in time he’ll heal and be whole again.

When Jemma says she hasn’t noticed much of a difference yet Grant hugs her and promises he’s there for them both whenever they need him, just a phone call away, she tearfully thanks him and downs the beer Mack hands her. Ward still hasn’t spotted Skye but he does find Carol and Valkyrie curled around each other in the kitchen with crystal glasses in both their hands, they greet him with intoxicated laughter and genuine happiness as he walks by, Valkyrie places a margarita in his fingers and he nods gratefully.

Knowing if the Avengers are congregated in a space you can always count on Skye to be with Nat, Tony or both, he heads towards the back of the cabin where wide glass doors sit, revealing the blooming bright meadow outside, to find Sam and Bucky talking quietly amongst themselves, they acknowledge him but appear to be in a deep discussion so he leaves them be and continues with the search for his wife. 

Kebo is the next person he spots sitting in an armchair next to Peter Parker who has a pair of Tony’s yellow tinted glasses on, talking animatedly about something with wide hand gestures, Kebo appears amused and raises his beer to Ward with a grin, though a silent question in his eyes if he’s alright after the session with Paul, Grant nods and his friend is relieved, focuses back on the conversation being had as Ward goes outside. 

Taking a sip from the margarita he finally finds Skye who is sitting on a gleaming oak bench that she insisted be installed, next to Nat her arm strung around her shoulder, both drinking from salted crystal glasses, Tony is attempting and failing to use massive grill to cook burgers on, Ward texts Mack to assist before all the food is burned. Stark typically doesn’t cook or clean for himself so the action surprises Grant and he figures the Avenger wants to attempt at something normal since this is a party.

Before he can take a step to Skye the back door swings open and Bucky and Sam walk out, over the years Tony has managed to forgive Barnes for what he did to his parents, it’s what Steve would have wanted, but the air sometimes is still a bit frosty between them. Sam claps Ward on the shoulder as he and Bucky stand next to him, all three looking out to Nat and Skye, who give the trio a questioning look, then Skye winks at her husband.

‘’You just going to keep staring at your girlfriend or?’’

Bucky laughs but it’s Sam who answers, ‘’James and I have been talking’’.

‘’Don’t call me that’’.

‘’And we have a question for you’’.

‘’That’s how you start it off? We talked about this’’-

‘’Dude shut up’’-

Ward gulps down the frozen alcohol, ‘’what’s the question?’’

‘’We’re working together to honor Steve’s legacy and to go after some people who think since he’s gone they can try to take us and the Avengers out, there's also an anti-patriotism group called the Flag Smashers. We want you to join us’’.

Surprise flickers, Ward has been working as a mercenary the past few months and while it’s been extremely beneficial, he has missed working with a team.

‘’Seriously?’’

Old insecurities flare, besides the Avengers and Skye’s Inhumans, after everything that happened with Shield, it’s rare anyone recruits him or even wants to work with him.

‘’Look don’t get a big head about it man but we could use your skills, they don’t call you the best since Natasha Romanoff for nothing’’.

Ward glances at his wife who isn’t even trying to hide the fact that she’s watching them, long brown hair swaying in the warm spring breeze.

‘’Take you time to think about it, I’m sure you need to discuss it with Skye first anyway’’.

‘’Obviously he’d need to talk to her about it, she’d kick his ass if he didn’t’’.

Grant finishes the margarita and replies, ‘’I’ll talk to her’’.

It’s a big life change and may require long stretches away from home, he isn’t sure he wants that right now and if Skye doesn’t like the idea or won’t support him in it, he won’t do it. Bucky squeezes his shoulder before walking down the stairs to sit next to Nat, wraps an arm around her chest and kisses the back of her head, she smiles and Ward has never see the Black Widow so happy in all the years since he’s known her as she is with Barnes.

Skye drains the rest of her glass before coming up to him, dressed in all black like a dark shadow against the bright sun, she says nothing as she climbs up the steps and without warning throws her arms around his neck, wrapping both legs around his waist, he holds her up with one arm while the other bands around her back. Hand tangled in her hair Skye grins, runs her fingers along the back of his neck while Tony whines about PDA.

‘’What was that about?’’

‘’Job offer’’.

‘’Doing what?’’

‘’Killing people’’.

He deadpans and Skye flicks his nose, ‘’your humor is never going to change is it?’’

‘’I’m funny’’.

‘’No you’re not’’.

Tony comments while Skye chimes in, ‘’whatever you say babe’’.

Still holding her with one arm, Ward summarizes Barnes and Wilson’s offer, Skye appears apprehensive at first but then curls into his chest.

‘’Are you going to take it?’’

‘’I’m not sure yet, I don’t like the idea of being away from you for weeks at a time’’.

She almost rolls her eyes but stops, ‘’I can take care of myself’’.

‘’That’s not what I’m talking about’’.

He’d miss her and she doesn’t sleep well without him, they both know it.

‘’Well whatever you decide you know I’ll support you, and if Sam and Bucky give you shit for it I’ll shatter their spines’’.

She isn’t joking, says the last bit loud enough for them to hear, Wilson gulps and looks away, Barnes shakes his head but doesn’t blow off the thinly veiled threat.

Grant kisses her nose, ‘’I know’’.

‘’They didn’t invite Kebo, he won’t be happy about that’’.

‘’I’ll worry about it when the time comes’’.

Kebo hasn’t gone with him on any jobs he’s worked as a mercenary, so this shouldn’t be any different.

‘’I’ll make sure your garden survives whenever you’re gone’’.

Recently he took up gardening at Paul’s suggestion and it has surprisingly helped calm the ghosts in his mind, digging up the soil, planting the seeds and watering them, has a soothing effect.

He kisses her at that as every Avenger and present Shield agent comes outside crowded around the backyard, Mack and Pepper headed for Tony.

An hour later the food has been rescued by Mack and is starting to be passed around, everyone sitting on the bench or brought chairs out, Skye and Ward are still standing on the back porch next to one another, Skye observing her friends and family, no doubt wishing Steve and Clint were present, at the sadness in her face Ward holds her hand that’s resting on the railing and squeezes. Grant himself feels emotional as he looks at the friends he’s made, the family laughing and crowded together in one place.

There was a long stretch of time where Ward though he’d be alone and unloved forever, that he wouldn’t make it past thirty and die all alone somewhere with no one to mourn over him, no one would ever care that he was no longer in this world. That his parents, brother and John Garrett were all right, that he was a burden and no one would ever love him. But they were wrong as he’s realized so many times before, and so was he when he thinks about it.

Ward nearly took his own life multiple times all those years ago when he was mourning over the loss of his abuser, looking back now he’s glad he didn’t succeed, because he would have missed all this. Missed the life he created with the woman he loves, missed so many opportunities, all this happiness, the strength he’d get back with the realization he can create a life for himself without John. He would have missed out on so much, missed the way his mental health would improve instead of cripple him.

Skye flexes her hand underneath his and he turns to look at her, she’s so beautiful it still takes him back all these years later.

‘’There was a time I never thought I’d have this’’.

He gestures with his chin out into the backyard, not taking his eyes off the love of his life.

‘’I never thought I’d be happy’’.

Skye leans into his side, ‘’me too’’.

He’s glad the ghosts her past didn’t take her down as well.

Kissing the top of her head he follows up with, ‘’I’m glad I stayed to see this, see you’’.

She plants a kiss on his clothed shoulder, ‘’me too. I love you so much’’.

After everything they’ve been through not only in the last few months but the past ten years, that is the one thing that has always remained constant.

And he thanks whatever god is out there for it every day.

‘’I love you too’’.

No matter what happens twenty minutes from now or twenty years, that’ll always remain true and set in stone, it’ll never change.

And when it all ends and he’s standing before god or whatever resides in the afterlife, he’ll be sure to thank them for blessing him with Skye, with the kind of love that heals and gives him hope, a place to rest his head and bask in the golden warmth of it. He’ll be eternally grateful for the woman next to him and love her even after his bones are dust and no one remembers his name or what he looked like, if the only legacy he leaves behind is that he loved her more than anything else, that’ll be enough.

He’d rather be remembered by an all-consuming love than anything else.


End file.
